On 22-24 February 2018 in Vienna, Austria, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij met with high-ranking state officials and the Ukrainian community in Austria with the goal of furthering current Ukrainian issues.
During his meetings with high-ranking state officials of Austria Eugene Czolij focused attention on the escalation in Eastern Ukraine of Russian aggression that threatens Ukraine, and peace and security in the world, including Austria. In conjunction, the UWC President called upon Austria to further strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation. Eugene Czolij also encouraged support for a monitoring, or in its absence a remote monitoring mission of the OSCE to illegally occupied Crimea and a UN peacekeeping mission to the Donbas. Eugene Czolij then focused attention on the significant reforms being realized by Ukraine while it counters Russian military aggression. Concluding, he called upon Austria to recognize the Holodomor of 1932-33 a genocide of the Ukrainian people.
On 23 February 2018, the UWC President visited St. Barbara Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church where he met with the community to speak about UWC support for Ukraine and called on the Ukrainian community for active cooperation in this regard.
On 24 February Eugene Czolij visited the Ukrainian Saturday School in Vienna. The UWC President met with the school’s leadership, and senior classes whom he encouraged to learn the Ukrainian language and also to support Ukraine by using the tools of social media to share the truth about their spiritual homeland.
On the school’s premises Eugene Czolij also met with the leadership of Ukrainian community organizations in Austria presenting the main activities of the UWC in support of Ukraine and discussing means of continued cooperation in this regard.
On this day the UWC President became acquainted with the activities of ”Erudit” Ukrainian School where he addressed students and teachers on Ukrainian themes.
During his visit to Austria, the UWC President was accompanied by Ambassador of Ukraine in Austria Olexander Scherba and Director of the UWC Mission to International Organizations in Brussels Maryna Iaroshevych.
“The meetings in Vienna were successful and allowed for discussion with Austrian high-ranking state officials and the Ukrainian community of current Ukrainian issues and the means to continue furthering them,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
Video of the UWC President’s meeting with the community at St. Barbara Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is available HERE.
List of individuals with whom the UWC President met:
Fr. Kolas Yuri,Vicar General of the Ordinariate for Eastern Rite Catholics of the Vienna Archeparchy
Fischer Carmen, International Secretary, Social Democratic Party of Austria
Schieder Andreas, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Austrian Parliament, Acting Chairman of the Social Democratic Group in the Austrian Parliament
Scherba Olexander, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Austria
Wieser Katharina, Head of Department for Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria
In the photo: From left: E. Czolij, K. Wieser and M. Iaroshevych
