During a working visit to Brussels, Belgium, 31 May – 3 June 2016, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij met with President of the Senate of Belgium Christine Defraigne and high-ranking officials of Belgium to discuss support for Ukraine.
Eugene Czolij focused attention on the threat to international security being posed by the aggressor actions of the Russian Federation which illegally occupied Crimea and escalates its military activities in Eastern Ukraine. As a result, the UWC President urged Belgium to continue with targeted economic sanctions against the Russian Federation until such time that it complies with the Minsk Agreements and ends its unlawful occupation of Crimea. The UWC President highlighted the violations by the Russian Federation of human rights in Crimea and the growing pressure on Ukrainians in the Russian Federation.
Eugene Czolij also called for the full implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and support for a visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens to the European Union Member States that belong to the Schengen Area.
The UWC President also discussed avenues of support for Ukraine during a meeting with the Ukrainian community in Belgium.
Accompanying the UWC President to these meetings was UWC Liaison in the EU Maryna Iaroshevych and President of the Association of Ukrainians in Belgium Ihor Chocholak.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon Belgium to maintain its firm position in defence of the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and in support of its Euro-integration,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
The UWC President met with the following high-ranking officials in Belgium:
Christine Defraigne, President of the Senate of Belgium
Dirk Van der Maelen, Head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Belgian House of Representatives
Georges Dallemagne, Head of the Belgium-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group
Jean-Arthur Régibeau, Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
Jo Indekeu, Ambassador, Director of Eastern and South East Europe and Central Asia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
In the photo from left: Eugene Czolij and Christine Defraigne
