Congressional Ukrainian Caucus hosts prime minister (05/21/00)

Congressional Ukrainian Caucus hosts prime minister

by Vera Andryczyk

WASHINGTON - The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus on May 9 hosted, with the support of the Action Ukraine Coalition, a working luncheon for Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko and members of his delegation on the occasion of his visit to the United States. The guests from Ukraine were accompanied by Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Kostyantyn Gryshchenko and the Embassy's First Secretary Tetiana Zhmachenko.

The luncheon was organized by caucus co-chairs Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.). Other members of the caucus attending the luncheon were co-chairs Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Stephen Horn (R-Calif.), and Caucus members Rep. Benjamin Gilman (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House of Representatives International Relations Committee; Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.); Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.); Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas); Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.); Rep. James Greenwood (R-Pa.); and Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.).

Also present were Xenia Horczakiwskyj, a member of Rep. Schaffer's staff, and Matthew Terlecki, a member of Rep. Greenwood's staff, as well as representatives of the Action Ukraine Coalition, Dr. Zenia Chernyk and Vera Andryczyk of the Ukrainian Federation of America, Nadia McConnell of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, and Ihor Gawdiak of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council.

The 90-minute luncheon in the Members' Dining Room of the U.S. Capitol was friendly, and the Ukrainian delegation was greeted on its arrival with welcoming remarks from Reps. Kaptur and Schaffer. Reps. Weldon, Gilman and Lantos also extended their greetings.

Rep. Weldon expressed the hope that a strong working relationship can be established in the near future between the Verkhovna Rada and Congress, and announced his intention to lead a congressional delegation to Ukraine in July. He expressed his appreciation of the Ukrainian American community's efforts in informing Congress about the most critical issues pertaining to Ukraine and championing greater involvement by the United States in Ukraine's struggle to achieve greater economic prosperity and political stability.

In his remarks Rep. Lantos noted that he was born in Hungary, one of Ukraine's neighbors, and that he has a great understanding of and affinity for Ukraine. He expressed his gratitude to the prime minister and the government of Ukraine for its excellent treatment of the Hungarian minority there.

Prime Minister Yuschenko thanked the members of Congress for their work on behalf of Ukraine and underscored the fact that one of the most positive signs of progress in Ukraine is the ongoing development of a working relationship between the Verkhovna Rada and the government.

Ihor Ostash, a national deputy and chair of the Verkhovna Rada's International Relations Committee, emphasized the importance of the U.S. Congress' assistance to the Verkhovna Rada on legislative matters.

Both sides engaged in a discussion of the latest developments in Ukraine, steps the new government is taking to bring the country out of its economic malaise and the prospects for stronger ties between the two nations - especially between the two legislative branches. Members of Congress expressed their full support for the new Ukrainian government's reform program and pledged to assist Ukraine in these efforts .

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