Croatia – October 21-25, 2022. The delegation of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) completed a working visit to Croatia, where it joined the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Zagreb.
CRIMEA PLATFORM
On October 24, during the summit of the International Crimea Platform in Zagreb, the delegation of the Ukrainian World Congress, headed by the UWC President Paul Grod, took part in expert-level discussions about Ukrainian Crimea and the myths that Russia is trying to impose on the world.
Government delegations and institutions from more than 50 countries participated in the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform. Ukraine also invited countries that are not members of the Platform – those from South America, Africa, and Asia.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, the President of the UWC talked about the importance of the Crimea Platform, the UWC’s main priorities, and the global Ukrainian diaspora. Mr. Grod stressed the critical importance of the military, economic and humanitarian world’s support of Ukraine in these trying and daring times. Mr. Paul Grod also gave a lengthy live commentary for the Ukrainian Media Center (Ukraine) and Kontakt TV (Canada).
OFFICIAL HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS
The UWC delegation met with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković and with other international government officials and legislators.
During the meeting with Prime Minister Plenković, Paul Grod thanked him for his personal dedication and powerful leadership in the international arena in support of Ukraine. The leaders discussed the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine; NATO membership; consolidation of European efforts to counter Russian aggression, disinformation, and propaganda; bringing Russian war criminals to justice for atrocities committed in Ukraine through the UN War Crimes Tribunal; confiscation of Russian assets through the adoption of appropriate legislation. The leaders also focused on a number of issues important to the Ukrainian community in Croatia, including Croatia’s adoption of legislation to recognize the Holodomor as genocide and provide Ukrainian refugees with support, housing, and medical care.
After the meeting, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and UWC President Paul Grod joined the Chairman of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and other Croatian and Ukrainian high-ranking officers and Ukrainian community leaders at the official opening ceremony of the Ukrainian House in Zagreb.
The UWC delegation met with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Gordan Grlić-Radman. During the meeting, the President of the UWC and the head of Croatian diplomacy discussed external support for Ukraine, bringing the Russian Federation to the tribunal for war crimes, changing the legislation to confiscate Russian assets abroad, and Croatia’s general position towards Ukraine and its further support.
During the visit to Zagreb, there was also a meeting with the Chairperson of the “Croatia-Ukraine” parliamentary group, Ms. Zdravka Bushych. Special attention at the meeting was devoted to the 1932-33 Holodomor genocide. Paul Grod emphasized the importance of the anniversary of the Holodomor genocide in November and the fact that history repeats itself. Mr. Grod underlined that only together with Western countries will Ukraine be able to stop the Russian aggressor. After all, the threat from this terrorist country is now spreading to virtually all the countries of the free world.
The President of the UWC noted that the Croatian government has done and is doing a lot to accept and help Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. He also expressed his respect and gratitude to the government and to the entire people of Croatia and noted the importance of continued support.
REGIONAL MEETING OF UWC
During the visit, the President of the Ukrainian World Congress attended a planned regional meeting with the Eastern Europe representatives of the UWC.
The Deputy Chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Olena Kondratiuk opened the regional meeting and assessed the Russian-Ukrainian war and Ukraine’s most urgent needs.
Lenna Koszarny, the Vice-President of the UWC and the head of the UWC Economic Prosperity and Investment Committee (EPIC) discussedhow the Ukrainian economy is surviving the war and how the world is planning to support Ukraine in its reconstruction.
Andriy Futey, the Vice President of the UWC and the President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), talked about his recent visit to Kyiv, where he met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, as well as about supplying the Ukrainian defenders’ needs.
Meeting participants also discussed the activities of the UWC since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. First Vice President of the UWC Stefan Romaniw presented the main political priorities for the future.
MEETING WITH UKRAINIAN COMMUNITIES
In personal meetings, the President of the UWC and the leaders of local communities in various cities of Croatia discussed ways to solve the problems that newly arrived Ukrainians face in Croatia and to reduce the influence of the “Russian world” in Eastern Europe countries.
The President of the UWC called on Eastern European Ukrainian communities to cooperate actively in the region, join forces to help the defenders of Ukraine, and bring victory over the evil empire closer.
OPENING CEREMONY OF THE IVAN FRANKO MEMORIAL
On October 22, the delegation of the Ukrainian World Congress took part in the opening ceremony of a monument to Ivan Franko in the Croatian city of Lovran. During the event, the President of the UWC gave interviews to the National Radio Television HRT and to the regional channel N1. In the interviews, Paul Grod talked about the extraordinary importance of the Crimea Platform and the unity between the Ukrainian and Croatian people.
