Ukrainian official banned from entering Poland

Ukrainian official Svyatoslav Sheremeta was banned from entering the country, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed.

Sheremeta, who is in-charge of Ukraine's Interdepartmental Commemorations Commission, tried to cross the border in Medyka in southeast Poland on Saturday noon with a German visa, Xinhua news agency reported.

Polish News Agency (PAP) reported that the decision to bar Sheremeta was the result of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance having in April issued a ban on the search and exhumation of remains of Polish war victims on Ukrainian territory.

Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski had announced recently that the government intends to revise its policy towards Ukraine over history. He emphasized that people representing anti-Polish views should be banned from entering the country.

In relation to Sheremeta's barring of entry, Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Pieklo was summoned by the government in Kiev to give some explanations.

"We urgently summon Poland's ambassador to Ukraine in connection with the refusal to grant entry to Poland to the secretary of the State Inter-departmental Commission, Svyatoslav Sheremeta," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Beca tweeted.

--IANS

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