October 21, 2016

UCCA leaders hold high-level meetings in Kyiv

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The Ukrainian World Congress delegation at the Cabinet of Ministers (from left): UWC Vice-President Olena Koszarny, UWC Director of Humanitarian Initiatives Victor Hetmanczuk, UWC Vice-President Tamara Gallo Olexy, Director of the UWC Mission to Ukraine Serhiy Kasyanchuk, UWC Treasurer Zenon Potichny, UWC President Eugene Czolij, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, First Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv and Vice Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kyrylenko.

NEW YORK – In late September, the newly elected president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), Andriy Futey, and his predecessor, Tamara Olexy, traveled to Kyiv on a four-day working visit. It was a packed schedule of meetings with members of the Verkhovna Rada, Cabinet ministers and the new U.S. envoy to Ukraine.

On September 27, Mr. Futey and Ms. Olexy joined the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) delegation headed by UWC President Eugene Czolij at a signing ceremony with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Ukrainian World Congress.

On September 28, the UCCA leaders and representatives of the UWC met with the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, Hanna Hopko, to discuss ongoing efforts to maintain U.S. and European sanctions on Russia and continued support of the U.S. administration and Congress in the current crisis in Eastern Ukraine.

Afterwards, Ms. Hopko invited other members of the parliamentary committee to present their concerns and priorities. The conversation focused on continued Russian aggression, the current situation in Crimea and the coordination of efforts to extend sanctions on Russia. National Deputy Hopko reiterated the importance of a visit by the newly elected president of the United States to Ukraine and the UCCA’s assistance in that effort.

In Kyiv (from left) are: Tamara Olexy and Andriy Futey of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, National Deputy Volodymyr Ariev, Ukrainian World Congress President Eugene Czolij and Maryna Iaroshevych, UWC liaison officer to international organizations.

UCCA

In Kyiv (from left) are: Tamara Olexy and Andriy Futey of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, National Deputy Volodymyr Ariev, Ukrainian World Congress President Eugene Czolij and Maryna Iaroshevych, UWC liaison officer to international organizations.

That same day, Mr. Futey and Ms. Olexy met with acting Minister of Health Ulana Suprun, who explained her priorities and the systematic and legislative changes she will be pursuing to completely restructure the ministry and the delivery of health care in Ukraine. She also discussed the need for direct assistance in some areas, most notably children’s health. Dr. Suprun thanked the UCCA for its efforts in continuing to coordinate humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The UCCA then joined the UWC for a meeting with Vice Prime Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. Among key issues discussed were the continuation of European sanctions against Russia and the aftermath of the referendum vote in the Netherlands on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.

On September 30, Mr. Futey and Ms. Olexy met with U.S. Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, who congratulated the UCCA on its successful XXII Congress of Ukrainians of America and confirmed the Embassy’s continued cooperation. Key issues discussed with the ambassador included continued U.S. leadership in maintaining sanctions on Russia, further humanitarian and economic assistance for Ukraine, civic and social community programs that the UCCA is planning to spearhead, and the most recent developments in Ukraine.

During their stay in Ukraine, Mr. Futey, Ms. Olexy and Askold Lozynskyj, a former UCCA president and current chair of the UCCA Film Committee, were invited to attend a celebration for renowned film director Oles Yanchuk at the Dovzhenko National Film Studio. The reception, in honor of Mr. Yanchuk’s 60th birthday, was also attended by Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Yevhen Nyschuk, who expressed his support for the upcoming UCCA co-produced film “The Secret Diaries of Symon Petliura” that chronicles the life of the famous Ukrainian statesman and nationalist leader.

Throughout their working visit, UCCA leaders also held meetings with Vytautas Landsbergis, the first head of state of Lithuania after its independence from the Soviet Union; Valdis Zatlers, former president of the Republic of Latvia; Yulia Tymoshenko, former prime minister of Ukraine; Paul Shapiro, director of the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; National Deputy Volodymyr Ariev, chair of the Ukrainian delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), as well as several members of Parliament, including Hryhoriy Nemyria, Viktor Kryvenko, Pavlo Kyshkar and Ostap Yednak.

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