On 28-29 May 2018, on the invitation of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) member organization, Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, UWC President Eugene Czolij fulfilled a visit to Lisbon, Portugal, during which he furthered current Ukrainian issues in meetings with high-ranking government officials and the Ukrainian community in Portugal.
During meetings with high-ranking government officials, the UWC President expressed gratitude to Portugal for recognizing the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people and for supporting Еuro-integration processes of Ukraine. Eugene Czolij noted the ongoing aggression of the Russian Federation, which in 2014 illegally occupied Crimea and since then has continued military actions in Eastern Ukraine. In this context, the UWC President called for Portugal to support the extension and strengthening of sanctions against the Russian Federation as an aggressor state. In addition, Eugene Czolij shared examples of the achievements in reforming Ukraine, including the implementation of anti-corruption measures. He also emphasized the importance of preventing on the territories of European countries, including Portugal, questionable actions that attempt to justify Russian aggression and the illegal military formations of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. In a meeting at the High Commission for Migration in Portugal, the UWC President stated that organizations promoting the Rus’kyi mir ideology cannot be considered as representatives of the Ukrainian community.
While in Lisbon, Eugene Czolij attended Divine Liturgy at the Mother of God from Nazareth Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and met with the local Ukrainian community which he informed about the work of the UWC and called for cooperation in support of Ukraine.
The UWC President was accompanied to certain meetings by Ambassador of Ukraine in Portugal Inna Ohnivets and President of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal Pavlo Sadokha.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls upon high-ranking government officials and the Ukrainian community in Portugal to continue supporting Ukraine in the defence of its territorial integrity and to reduce the human rights violations of Ukrainians by the Russian Federation”, stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
List of individuals with whom the UWC President met:
Berardo Rubina, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Group of the People’s Democratic Party/Social Democratic Party, Member of the Assembly of Portugal
Bexiga Ricardo, Chairman of the Portugal-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, Member of the Assembly of Portugal
Calha Miranda, Vice-President of the Assembly of Portugal, Vice-President of the Committee on National Defense
Fernandes Romualda, Member of the Board of Directors, High Commission for Migration of Portugal
Martinho Lara, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party, Member of the Committee on Foreign Relations and Portuguese Communities, Member of the Assembly of Portugal
Monfils Joël, Political Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Portugal
Ohnivets Anna, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Portugal
In the photo from left: M. Martynyuk, I. Ohnivets, R. Bexiga, E. Czolijand P. Sadokha
