Ukrainian president calls for closer cooperation with Poland

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych called for closer cooperation between Kiev and Warsaw as he met his visiting Polish counterpart Bronislaw Komorowski here Thursday. "Ukraine is ready to proceed with the development of good neighborly relations and effective cooperation with Poland. We want to consolidate good ties and further develop them," Yanukovych said after the talks. Yanukovych said that, during the Euro 2012 Football Championship in Ukraine and Poland this summer, the two neighbors had worked well together to host the event. Yanukovych also expressed a desire to further cooperate with Poland in various fields, saying European integration remained a key priority for Kiev. Komorowski said Poland supported Ukraine's European aspirations and observed its achievements on this path. "We pay particular attention to the further development of this perspective," Komorowski said. The Polish president also said Warsaw was committed to productive cooperation with Kiev and Euro 2012 had injected fresh impetus to the development of bilateral ties and friendship. Komorowski also noted the strengthening of strategic Ukrainian-Polish relations, particularly in the economic sphere, saying bilateral trade rose significantly in the first half of the current year. Komorowski arrived Thursday for a two-day state visit.