NEWS AND VIEWS

Foundation and Congressional Ukrainian Caucus sponsor discussion on Ukraine as "marketbasket"

WASHINGTON - The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation and the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus on May 9 sponsored the roundtable discussion, "Ukraine: From Breadbasket of Europe to Marketbasket for the World," in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington.

The event kicked off the foundation's 10th anniversary celebration of its founding as well as the 10th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. The roundtable, focusing on the challenges and successes experienced in Ukraine's developing food systems sector, represented the first in the foundation's planned 10th Anniversary Conference Series for Washington and Kyiv with the aim of impacting U.S. and Ukrainian economic development.

Some of the roundtable participants included Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.), Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Ambassador and Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to the NIS Bill Taylor, U.S. Department of Agricultures Deputy Administrator Mary Chambliss and President of the Western NIS Enterprise Fund Natalie Jaresko.

Also participating were: Chief Financial Officer of WJ Group David Holpert, John Shmorhun of DuPont, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Jack Block, World Bank economist Iain Shuker, Chairman of the CIME Endeaver Group Richard Shriver, AVK Confectionery Chairman Volodymyr Avramenko, Citizens Network President John Costello, CEO Andrei Hartt of United Spirits Import Company, former USAID Agriculture Specialist Harry Walters, Consultant to AGCO Corporation Jim Asher, Brad Beeler of the Ohio Farm Project, Senior Vice-President of ACDI/VOCA Dennis DeSantis, Dr. Ihor Stebelsky of the University of Windsor (Ontario) and U.S.-Ukraine Foundation President Nadia K. McConnell.

The conference moderator was E. Morgan Williams, president of Ukraine Market Reform Group. The conference coordinator was Douglas Campbell; the exhibit coordinators were Richard and Sophika Smith.

The day long event featured Ukrainian foods during lunch and coffee breaks, and an exhibit on food systems producers and their respective products.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 3, 2001, No. 22, Vol. LXIX

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