Udovenko named honorary fellow of international studies center (03/16/97)

Udovenko named honorary fellow of international studies center

by Roma Hadzewycz

NEW YORK - Ukraine's Minister for Foreign Affairs Hennadii Udovenko was named an honorary fellow of the New England Center for International and Regional Studies at the University of Bridgeport in a ceremony held at Ukraine's Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Saturday, March 8.

The nomination recognized both Ukraine's contribution to peace worldwide and Minister Udovenko's international reputation as an effective diplomat.

The event was opened by Ukraine's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Anatolii Zlenko, who pointed to the cooperation between the University of Bridgeport, Ukraine and Arthur Andersen, one of the "Big Six" accounting firms, that made the day's events possible.

Dr. Stoyan Ganev, president of the New England Center for International and Regional Studies, explained that the center was founded in August 1996 with the support of Arthur Andersen worldwide "to internationalize business and social studies with a focus on emerging markets."

"It is very difficult to connect emerging markets with international business," Dr. Ganev continued, "but we found something unique: people who can bring together these two worlds."

The New England Center also is a research center. It will soon begin publishing a journal to connect politicians, businessmen and economists, and there are plans to create an advisory center for emerging markets that would encompass politicians, diplomats, the corporate world and representatives of emerging market countries, noted Dr. Ganev.

He underlined that "this synthesis is extremely important" and that is why "we are proud to confer the title of honorary fellow on Minister Hennadii Udovenko and Dr. Vladimir Kvint."

The two join one previously named honorary fellow, Russia's vice prime minister and minister of foreign trade, Oleg Davydov.

Dr. Ganev cited Mr. Udovenko as "one of the most experienced diplomats at the United Nations."

The honorary fellowship was conferred on Minister Udovenko by Richard Rubenstein, president of the University of Bridgeport, who noted that the university's student body consists of students who speak 60 languages and added, "some of our best students come from Ukraine."

Also honored at the afternoon reception was Dr. Kvint, a professor of international business at Fordham University and an adjunct professor at New York University, who is also a managing director at Arthur Andersen. Dr. Kvint was introduced to the audience as "a highly recognized expert in emerging markets."

Accepting a plaque denoting his new title, Mr. Udovenko said "The conferment of the title of honorary fellow of the Center for International and Regional Studies ... on me, as a representative of Ukraine, I associate, first of all, with the unquestionable growth of the role and influence of our young independent state in international relations and its weighty contribution to the multi-faceted process of forming a new architecture of international security on the regional and international levels."

He continued, "I also interpret this fact as a recognition of Ukraine's outstanding contribution to the process of practical nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation which, I am very hopeful, will give new impetus to movement by the international community towards the complete liquidation of weapons of mass destruction."

Referring to his meetings with Canadian and U.S. government officials on March 4-7, Minister Udovenko said these "demonstrate that Ukraine is taken into consideration." He added that his new title as honorary fellow also is a reflection of that fact, as well as "a recognition of Ukraine's decision to give up its nuclear arms." He explained that "63 warheads were delivered last May to Russia for elimination. So, as of June 1, 1996, Ukraine became nuclear free."

At the conclusion of his brief remarks. Ukraine's foreign affairs minister noted that "it is symbolic for me to meet with Dr. Ganev here today because I am in the running for president of the 52nd session of the U.N. General Assembly." Dr. Ganev was president of the Assembly's 47th session.

In his brief acceptance remarks, Dr. Kvint said, "Today, the global business world has to face new realities [of emerging markets] and the involvement of politicians and economists is crucial."

He said it is symbolic that the New England Center for International and Regional Studies has decided to focus its attention on emerging markets, because "200 years ago New England was the emerging market for the old world."

The event was attended by 11 U.N. ambassadors representing countries of the Eastern European regional group and the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Kazakstan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia and Turkmenistan, and the charges d'affaires of Armenia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Also present were U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Samir Sanbar and Vadim Perfiliev, director of the Department of General Assembly Matters.

In closing remarks Ambassador Zlenko focused the audience's attention on the paintings on historical themes on view in the reception room. These, he said, are among the 200 paintings brought to this country by Ukrainian artist Andrii Klymenko, whose work "chronicles the history of our civilization."

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Minister Udovenko took some time out to briefly answer reporters' questions. Speaking of his meeting in Washington with Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, he said that the session was Ukraine's first contact with the new secretary of state who "confirmed the continuity of U.S. policy toward Ukraine and the recognition of Ukraine as an important factor of stability in Eastern Europe." He noted his gratitude that Secretary Albright had rearranged her schedule to meet with him during the few hours he was in the capital.

In Canada, where he met with his counterpart, Lloyd Axworthy, Mr. Udovenko said, "we covered a wide range of issues in Ukrainian-Canadian relations, especially in the realm of trade and economic cooperation."

During his visit to New York, Ukraine's foreign affairs minister also met with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan; their discussion centered on reorganization of the international organization to take into account the new global situation.

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