On 10-12 December 2014 Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) Secretary General and Chairman of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations Stefan Romaniw greeted President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on behalf of the UWC and the Ukrainian community in Australia on the occasion of a state visit to the country and accompanied him in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
Stefan Romaniw met President Poroshenko and his family together with an Australian government delegation upon their arrival in Melbourne. Members of the Ukrainian community, primarily youth in traditional costume, welcomed the couple upon their arrival at the Langham Hotel with Ukrainian flags and a banner which read: Vitayemo Prezydenta Ukraiiny v Avstralii (We welcome the President of Ukraine in Australia).
In Melbourne President Petro Poroshenko, joined by Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott, Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews, ministers, elected representatives of federal and state governments, members of the diplomatic corps and over 1000 members of the community, participated in a Prayer Vigil for peace and unity in Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Cathedral in Melbourne led by Bishop Peter Stasiuk and clergy of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic and Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
Stefan Romaniw extended greetings assuring the President of Ukraine that the Ukrainian diaspora in Australia will continue to tirelessly work for the benefit of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
The President of Ukraine, the Prime Minister of Australia and the Premier of Victoria also delivered greetings. President Petro Poroshenko, in his address, presented his perspective on the current situation in Ukraine and the need for future reforms, and thanked the community for supporting Ukraine, emphasizing that the country will continue to fight for its territory and independence.
The UWC Secretary General accompanied the President of Ukraine to state receptions hosted by the Prime Minister and Governor General of Australia where he extended greetings on behalf of the UWC, participated in a round table forum in Sydney and a wreath laying ceremony at the monument in Canberra paying tribute to the victims of the Holodomor, famine-genocide in Ukraine of 1932-33.
The Ukrainian communities in Canberra and Sydney also welcomed the President of Ukraine in great numbers.
Stefan Romaniw discussed the continued cooperation between Ukraine and the UWC during a private meeting with the President of Ukraine, and in meetings with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin and Head of the Presidential Administration Valeriy Chaly.
In addition, during a separate meeting Stefan Romaniw presented the work of the UWC to the Ambassador of Australia in Ukraine Jean Dunn and Australia’s newly-appointed first resident Ambassador in Ukraine Doug Trappett.
