UWC President in Przemysl

April 4, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

UWC PRESIDENT IN PRZEMYSL

The President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) Eugene Czolij was in Przemysl, Poland on March 21, 2011 where he met with the President of the Union of Ukrainians in Poland (UUP) Petro Tyma. They discussed cooperation between UWC and UUP, including the issue of the Narodnyi Dim (People’s Home) in Przemysl. Eugene Czolij noted the importance of Poland’s support for Ukraine’s European integration, especially in light of the fact that Poland will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1, 2011.

Next, Eugene Czolij, joined by UWC Board member Zenon Potichnyj and Vice-president of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce John Iwaniura, attended the following meetings.

He visited the Markiyan Shashkevych School Complex, which will mark its 100th anniversary later this year. School Complex Director Petro Pipka provided the UWC President with an overview of the history and present-day activities of this educational institution.

The UWC President also met with leaders of Poland’s Ukrainian community and Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi, Director General of the Department of Ukrainian Diasporas, Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. They discussed ways to assist in the restoration of the Narodnyi Dim in Przemysl. Eugene Czolij also reminded Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi that the UWC has not received the official reply promised by the Administration of the President of Ukraine to the Memorandum on important issues concerning Ukraine and the Ukrainian Diaspora which was presented in June 2010. The UWC President also restated UWC’s position concerning the inappropriate actions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine with respect to Ukrainian NGOs in Russia, the Federal National Cultural Autonomy of Ukrainians of Russia and the Union of Ukrainians in Russia, as stated in UWC correspondence and press releases of January 2011.  Eugene Czolij also noted the absence of consultation with the UWC on the Program of support for relations with Ukrainians abroad which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is currently developing.