Poland and Ukraine becoming closer friends

Narody Polski i Ukrainy pokazuj¹ ca³emu œwiatu, ¿e nie ma takiego z³a w historii, którego nie mo¿na przezwyciê¿yæ - to przes³anie prezydentów Lecha Kaczyñskiego i Wiktora Juszczenki

Prezydenci og³osili je w sobotê w Paw³okomie na Podkarpaciu, gdzie 61 lat temu Polacy wymordowali wiêkszoœæ mieszkaj¹cych tam Ukraiñców.

Kaczyñski powiedzia³, ¿e mocne i trwa³e pojednanie Polski i Ukrainy mo¿na budowaæ tylko na prawdzie. - Nie mo¿emy zmieniæ przesz³oœci, ale mo¿emy sprawiæ, by nie determinowa³a ona przysz³oœci - podkreœli³ prezydent Polski.

Oczekiwane wczeœniej przez niektórych s³owa: "Przepraszamy i prosimy o wybaczenie", prezydent zast¹pi³ odwo³aniem siê do Boga. - Umiejmy z mi³osierdziem i odwag¹ wspólnie modliæ siê s³owami "odpuœæ nam nasze winy jako i my odpuszczamy naszym winowajcom". O to proszê - zaapelowa³ prezydent Polski.

Ponad tysi¹c Ukraiñców, którzy przyjechali do Paw³okomy z ca³ego œwiata, nagrodzi³o polskiego prezydenta d³ugimi oklaskami. Kaczyñski przypomnia³, ¿e prawdziwe pojednanie Polaków i Ukraiñców odby³o siê dwa lata temu podczas pomarañczowej rewolucji w Kijowie, gdzie Ÿó³to-niebieskie flagi Ukrainy miesza³y siê z bia³o-czerwonymi. - Tam odby³o siê pojednanie p³yn¹ce z serca Polaków - zaznaczy³.

Prezydent Ukrainy Wiktor Juszczenko z uznaniem mówi³ o ciê¿kiej drodze setek tysiêcy ludzi, która doprowadzi³a do pojednania.

- Mieliœmy do wyboru dwie drogi. Jedna to liczenie litr do litra przelanej krwi i pod¹¿anie w duchu wojny lub drogê pojednania - zaznaczy³. Szczególnie podziêkowa³ mieszkañcom Paw³okomy, którym najtrudniej by³o wyci¹gn¹æ rêkê do pojednania z s¹siadami sprzed ponad 60 lat. - Jestem przekonany, ¿e przebaczaæ mog¹ tylko silne narody, dla których pamiêæ o w³asnej historii jest nakazem dla wspó³czesnych czasów - podkreœli³ prezydent Ukrainy.

Przywódcy obu krajów z³o¿yli tak¿e wi¹zanki kwiatów i zapalili znicze przed krzy¿em upamiêtniaj¹cym polskie ofiary ukraiñskich nacjonalistów - to z kolei miejsce w Paw³okomie symboliczne dla Polaków.

This title of this article is: only the strong forgive. It is about the Polish and Ukrainian peoples showing the world that there is no evil in history, which is insurmountable to good(forgiveness). In the town of Paw³okomy, after the war, there was bloody, brutal fighting(maybe murdering each other would be more accurate) here between Poles and Ukrainians.

Below, I will translate for everyone who does not speak Polish.(From second paragraph onwards, since the introduction already includes the first paragraph in the article)

Presidents Kaczynski and Juszczenko were in Paw³okomy, where 61 years earlier, Poles killed most of the places Ukrainian residents.

Now, Polish President Lech Kaczynski said that a strong and lasting unity between Poland and Ukraine can be built only on truth, and said, "we can't change the past, but we can make sure that it does not determine our future." He asked for forgiveness, and prayed "Forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us." Over a thousand Ukrainians who came here from around the world responded with long applause.
Kaczynski remembered that unity between Poles and Ukrainians really grew during the orange revolution in Kiev, where the blue and gold Ukrainian flags mixed with the white and red. "there the unity came from the heart" he noted.

Ukrainian President Wiktor Juszczenko agreed and spoke about the long and difficult road many thousands of people took to attain such unity.

"We had two roads to choose from. One was to exact a liter for every liter of blood spilled, and having only war and killing in the spirit; or the other, one of unity," Juszczenko said. He thanked especially the residents of Paw³okomy, for whom it was especially difficult to extend a friendly hand to their neighbors finally after 60 years. "I am convinced that only strong nations can forgive one another, when their history is a problem for the present," explained Ukraine's president.

The leaders of both countries also laid flowers and lit candles in front of a cross remembering Polish victims of Ukrainian nationalists, which is one of many sites in Paw³okomy symbolic to Poles.

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