On 10 February 2015 in Kyiv, Ukraine, the leadership of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) held a series of meetings with government officials, Members of Parliament, religious leaders and community activists in Ukraine, and the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine to strengthen cooperation in the defence of the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine with the escalation of armed aggression by the Russian Federation and terrorist activities of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics. The UWC President Eugene Czolij also introduced the newly appointed Director of the UWC Mission to Ukraine Serhiy Kasyanchuk.
The UWC delegation, headed by UWC President Eugene Czolij, included UWC Secretary-General and Chairman of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations Stefan Romaniw, UWC Vice President Olena Koszarny, Director of the UWC Mission to Ukraine Serhiy Kasyanchuk and UWC Director of Humanitarian Initiatives Dr. Ulana Suprun.
With the Director-General of the Directorate General for Worldwide Ukrainians, Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Larysa Dir, the UWC leadership discussed a joint plan of action in the framework of the August 2014 Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ukrainian World Congress and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
During a meeting with the Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Valentyn Nalyvaichenko the focus was on providing the SBU with educational, medical and tactical medicine assistance in accordance with the Memorandum on Partnership between the Ukrainian World Congress Humanitarian Initiative Patriot Defence and the Security Service of Ukraine and the means of disseminating factual information about Ukraine in the world.
Issues related to Ukrainian laws affecting the diaspora, the involvement of the UWC in the process of adoption of legislation, and parliamentary friendship groups in various countries were discussed during a meeting with Members of the Parliament of Ukraine. Participating in this meeting were the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Hanna Hopko, First Deputy Chair Ivanna Klympush Tsintsadze, Deputy Chair Viktor Vovk, Deputy Chair of the Budget Committee Viktor Kryvenko, Ihor Huz, Yaroslav Markevych and the Chair of the Ukraine-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group Oksana Masorina.
The UWC President Eugene Czolij greeted the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations during their meeting chaired by Patriarch Filaret, Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate, and assured the continued support by the Ukrainian diaspora of Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
In the evening, the Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Roman Waschuk hosted the UWC leadership and the UWC President expressed gratitude to Canada for its strong support of Ukraine.
“All of our meetings were productive and served to strengthen ties with various structures in Ukraine for continued effective cooperation,” commented UWC President Eugene Czolij.
Video: E. Czolij’s greeting the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations
Photo Gallery
In the photo from left: S. Kasyanchuk, S. Romaniw, U. Suprun, V. Nalyvaichenko E. Czolij and O. Koszarny
