Australian community leader heads for Ukraine to work on its marketing

ESSENDON, Australia - In a boost for Australia-Ukraine relations, a project team backed by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has enlisted the help of the Australian Ukrainian community in developing ways of marketing Ukraine to Western nations.

The chairman of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations (AFUO), Stefan Romaniw, has accepted a request to assist with the project in Ukraine during a three-month posting aimed at providing a Western perspective on a new 15 part documentary series.

The documentary will be aimed at providing a thorough insight into Ukraine, and its social and economic strengths as well as the new direction in which President Yushchenko is leading Ukraine.

"The series will be a fabulous opportunity to start to get the message out about how Ukraine is now focusing Westward and looking to build business, social and political links with democratic nations all around the world," Mr. Romaniw said.

"Further, it's a privilege for me to have been asked to assist in this task and reflects well on the relationship that we have built between the Australian Ukrainian community and the new Ukrainian government."

While in Kyiv, Mr. Romaniw will also have his hands full with a number of tasks further aimed at strengthening the ties between Ukraine and Australia such as:

• opening the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations' office in Ukraine's capital Kyiv;
  
  
• monitoring activities that promote Australia-Ukraine relations;
  
  
• working to develop programs that will streamline business activity between the two nations, via Ukraine Australia House in Kyiv;
  
  
• promoting new skilled migration opportunities for Ukrainians who can possibly fill employment voids in Australia;
  
  
• meeting with Ukrainian Chambers of Commerce;
  
  
• participating in the signing of a new agreement between Monash University and Lviv University;
  
  
• participating in the Ukrainian World Congress annual general meeting in Kharkiv on August 17 and 18;
  
  
• participating in the meeting of the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council; and
  
  
• launching an Australian-prepared book depicting atrocities against the Ukrainian nation.

"The new Yushchenko administration is focusing heavily on building relationships with Western nations, so now is an opportune time for the Australian government and business to think about how they can develop long term opportunities in Ukraine," Mr. Romaniw noted.

"I'd again encourage the Australian government in particular to look to the longer term and start to consider the presence of an Australian Embassy in Kyiv, just as Ukraine now has an Embassy in Canberra," Mr. Romaniw said. He added that he plans to meet with Australia's new ambassador in the far Eastern European region, Bob Tyson, who is based in Moscow.

Mr. Romaniw left for Ukraine on June 21 and will return in mid-September.

The Australian Federation Of Ukrainian Organizations, which represents 24 Ukrainian organizations in Australia, is a member of Ukrainian World Congress.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 3, 2005, No. 27, Vol. LXXIII

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