On 6-8 July 2017, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij fulfilled a working visit to Poland during which he attended an event of the Summit of the “Three Seas Initiative”, participated as a panelist in the 360/OS Open Source Summit and addressed a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UWC, and held meetings with high-ranking state officials, representatives of civil society and the Ukrainian community in Poland.
On 6 July 2017, the UWC President was present in Krasinski Square in Warsaw when President of the U.S.A. Donald Trump in his address specifically stated: “We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere…”
In addition, on the invitation of President of Poland Andrzej Duda, Eugene Czolij attended a Gala Evening on the occasion of the Summit of the “Three Seas Initiative.”
On 7 July 2017 Eugene Czolij spoke on the topic of disinformation in a panel discussion titled “What the Fact?” during the 360/OS Open Source Summit organized by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. He also attended a closing reception during which the Atlantic Council presented its Freedom awards.
On 6 and 7 July 2017, the UWC President held meetings with high-ranking state officials and representatives of Polish civil society during which he recognized Poland’s support for Ukraine in the fight against the aggression of the Russian Federation and in furthering the processes of Euro and EuroAtlantic integration. During the meetings, Eugene Czolij also raised the issues of the common history of the Ukrainian and Polish peoples, including the anti-Ukrainian Akcija Wisla, the 70th anniversary of which is being marked this year, and called for a constructive resolution of these issues.
The UWC President discussed with Bishop Artur Mizinski, the Secretary General of the Conference of Bishops of Poland, the presentation of the book “Facts of the Przemysl Archeparchy. Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation in documents of the clergical hierarchy” and the Christian approach to resolving issues of the common historical past.
On 8 July 2017, Eugene Czolij addressed a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UWC in Warsaw organized by UWC member organization Union of Ukrainians in Poland led by Petro Tyma. The commemorative program included a presentation of UWC Certificates of Recognition and the screening of a short documentary film “50 years of the Ukrainian World Congress.”
Eugene Czolij also met with leaders of the Ukrainian community in Poland to discuss strategic issues of continued cooperation and the organization on 15 August 2017 in Warsaw and Łańcut initiatives to honour Major General of the Army of the Ukrainian National Republic Mark Bezruchko who, in 1920 near Warsaw, helped stop the advance of the Bolshevik army into Europe.
During the meetings, the UWC President was accompanied by Director of the UWC Mission to International Organizations in Brussels Maryna Iaroshevych.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls for Poland to continue supporting Ukraine that, by defending its borders, in fact halts the advance of Russian imperialism to the West,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
View the video of the UWC President’s participation in the 360/OS Open Source Summit HERE .
List of individuals with whom the UWC President met:
Andzel Waldemar, Member of the Polish Parliament, Law and Justice Party
Cichocki Bartosz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland
Dębski Sławomir, Director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs
Deshchytsia Andrii, Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland
Eberhardt Adam, Executive Director, Center for Eastern Studies
Filcek Krzysztof, Deputy Director, Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Foundation
Kowal Pawel, Lecturer, Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Science
Kuberski Marek, Deputy Director of the Department of Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland
Kucharczyk Jacek, President of the Executive Board, Institute of Public Affairs
Malicki Jan, Director of the Centre for Eastern European Studies, University of Warsaw
Mazurek Beata, Member of Polish Parliament, Rights and Justice Party, Head of the Inter-parliamentary Ukraine-Poland Friendship Group
Bishop Mizinski Artur, Secretary General of the Conference of Bishops of Poland
Pienta Stanislaw, Member of Polish Parliament, Rights and Justice Party
Swięcicki Marcin, Member of Polish Parliament, Civic Platform Party, Member of the Inter-parliamentary Ukraine-Poland Friendship Group
In the photo from left: S. Piȩta, B. Mazurek, E. Czolij, M. Iaroshevychand W. Andzel
