On 1-5 July 2016, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij travelled to Georgia on a working visit where, in Tbilisi, he held meetings with the Chairman of the Parliament, David Usupashvili, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gigi Gigiadze, participated in the 25th Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), met with the local Ukrainian community and visited the Lesya Ukrainka House Museum in Surami.
During his meetings, the UWC President expressed gratitude to Georgia for supporting Ukraine in the defence of its independence and territorial integrity, and emphasized that the aggressor acts of the Russian Federation in Georgia and Ukraine constitute a crisis of international proportion and that today, overcoming Russian expansionism is in the interest of both countries.
From 1-5 July 2016, Eugene Czolij participated in the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, addressed a Side Event on the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Crimea which was organized jointly by the Permanent Delegation of the Parliament of Ukraine to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the UWC, and also discussed with the newly elected President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine Muttonen and heads and members of state delegations, participants of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the importance of unity and consistency of action in overcoming Russian aggression.
During Georgian state events organized on the occasion of the Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi, the UWC President spoke with the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikheil Janelidze, highlighting that Georgia and Ukraine should work together to ensure an effective response of the international community to the imperialist actions of the Russian Federation.
The UWC President held a meeting with the local Ukrainian community organized by the UWC member organization, Coordinating Council of Ukrainians in Georgia, and its President, Mykhailo Borys.
Eugene Czolij also learned about the artifacts in the Lesya Ukrainka House Museum in Surami, discussed the need for its restoration with the President of the All-Georgian Lesya Ukrainka Association Tariel Gogoladze, Director of the House Museum Lia Sabradze, and also met with Director of Lesya Ukrainka School No. 3 Tamara Gobadze and students of the school.
While in Tbilisi, the UWC President was accompanied by Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia Georgii Nazarov and UWC Liaison Officer in the EU Maryna Iaroshevych.
“The trip to Georgia helped to bring the voice of the global Ukrainian community in defence of Ukraine to Georgian high-ranking government officials, representatives of numerous countries, participants of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and to strengthen ties with the Ukrainian community in Georgia,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
More information on the working visit of the UWC President is also available on the web site of the Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia.
In the photo from left: David Usupashvili and Eugene Czolij
