Other areas covered by the co-operation agreement include infrastructure, the fight against doping and continued support for the latter country in the face of the Russian invasion. 

Poland’s Kamil Bortniczuk and his Ukrainian counterpart Vadym Hutcajt met directly for the first time after spending many months co-operating on the international online forum over support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

During the videoconference, held on March 31, the Ministers also talked about Ukrainian sportsmen who found refuge in Poland as a result of the outbreak of the war.

"Since the beginning of the war Poland has been one of the countries that exerted pressure on international sports organisations to exclude Russia from any competitions," Bortniczuk said.

"We can see that the pressure makes sense - a series of our actions, pressures, meetings, speeches and letters made International Federations decide to resort to sanctions against Russia.

"Our goal is also to build, through broadly understood sport, solid foundations for the integration of local communities with refugees from Ukraine and the assimilation of children, youth from Ukraine and their families with Poland.

"I believe that the cooperation programme signed today will give a new impetus to further action."

Hutcajt responded: "Thank you on behalf of the Ukrainian people for everything you do for us, for supporting athletes from Ukraine who can continue training in Poland, for all the help and the fact that they can feel safe."

A previous cooperation programme was signed by the Ministers responsible for sport in Poland and Ukraine in June 2017.