May 15, 2012
PRESS RELEASE
UWC PRESIDENT EUGENE CZOLIJ MEETS COUNCIL OF EUROPE SECRETARY GENERAL THORBJORN JAGLAND IN FRANCE
On May 11, 2012, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij met in Strasbourg, France, with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland.
During the meeting, the UWC President emphasized the urgency associated with Ukraine’s Euro-integration and encouraged the Council of Europe to widely disseminate information among Ukrainian citizens about the benefits of a pro-European course while underscoring that the main condition of signing and ratifying the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union is for the Ukrainian governing authorities to adhere to fundamental European values and respect human rights. Eugene Czolij also noted the significance of the October Parliamentary elections in Ukraine and called upon the Council of Europe to demand that Ukrainian governing authorities release prominent opposition leaders Yulia Tymoshenko and Yuri Lutsenko from prison and enable their participation in these elections. In conjunction with this, the parties also discussed the need for a large monitoring mission consisting of long- and short-term election observers to ensure a more honest and transparent electoral process in Ukraine, as well as the negative impact on Ukraine`s Euro-integration of calls to boycott Euro 2012.
The UWC President also met with representatives of the Council of Europe, the Deputy to the Director of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, Bojana Urumova, and Adviser to the Commissioner, Olena Petsun.
The UWC is an international coordinating body for Ukrainian communities in the diaspora representing the interests of over 20 million Ukrainians. The UWC has member organizations in 32 countries and ties with Ukrainians in 14 additional countries. Founded in 1967 as a non-profit corporation, the UWC was recognized in 2003 as a non-governmental organization (NGO) by the United Nations Economic and Social Council with special consultative status.
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