Ukrainian Americans honor departing Ambassador Buteiko (01/09/00)

Ukrainian Americans honor departing Ambassador Buteiko

by Yaro Bihun
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

WASHINGTON - Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Anton Buteiko, whose assignment here was cut surprisingly short in December, left for home January 2.

On the eve of his departure, a small group of Ukrainian American activists bid farewell to the veteran Ukrainian diplomat and his wife, Lina, at a dinner reception in their honor at a local restaurant.

Raising a toast to Ambassador Buteiko, Ukrainian American Coordinating Council President Ihor Gawdiak said the community was "dismayed" by the announcement of his recall. He praised Dr. Buteiko's accomplishments in furthering U.S.-Ukrainian relations during the past year and expressed the hope that his knowledge and experience will be put to good use in an appropriately responsible future assignment.

Responding, Ambassador Buteiko recalled some of the high points of his one-year tenure in Washington. Bringing about the Ukraine-NATO summit and President Leonid Kuchma's participation in NATO's 50th anniversary gathering was extremely difficult, he said, because of Kosovo-related pressure against Mr. Kuchma's coming.

He expressed his personal satisfaction with the agreements reached at the latest Kuchma-Gore Binational Commission meeting here, but added that he was "not fully satisfied" with the results of his effort to ameliorate the problems Ukrainians face in trying to get U.S. visas.

Overall, Ambassador Buteiko said, the development of U.S.-Ukraine relations would not have been as successful as they were without the active support of the Ukrainian American community. He praised the community's "spirit of unity," especially as demonstrated by its business and professionals organizations during the Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American organizations held in Washington last summer. They could "serve as a good example" to groups in Ukraine that somehow cannot find common ground.

Ambassador Buteiko used this occasion on the eve of his departure to present the Ukrainian Embassy's Certificate of Honor to 10 Ukrainian Americans for their "personal contribution to strengthening of ties between Ukraine and the United States." The recipients were: Vera Andryczyk and Zenia Chernyk of Philadelphia; Osyp Zinkewych of Baltimore and Kyiv; and Arthur Belendiuk, Yaro Bihun, Ross Chomiak, Nadia Diuk, Mr. Gawdiak, Nadia McConnell and Motria Sloniewsky of the greater Washington area.

The farewell dinner was organized by the Action Ukraine Coalition. Formed in April 1999 by the UACC, the Ukrainian Federation of America and the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, the AUC's goal is strengthening the Ukrainian-American representational presence in the nation's capital.

| Home Page |