On 10-12 October 2018, Ukrainian World Congress President (UWC) Eugene Czolij fulfilled a working visit to Brussels, Belgium, to promote topical Ukrainian issues and strengthen cooperation with European and international institutions.
During his meetings with senior officials from the European Union (EU), NATO and UN, and representatives of civil society, Eugene Czolij drew their attention to the threats to European security posed by the aggressive acts of the Russian Federation, which illegally occupied Crimea and continues military aggression in Eastern Ukraine. The UWC President focused on the unlawful activities of the Russian Federation which have disrupted the free flow of traffic in the Sea of Azov and negatively impacted trade with Ukraine. With respect to the ongoing aggression, the UWC President stressed the importance of making every effort to strengthen the existing sanctions regime against the Russian Federation, including its exclusion from the SWIFT financial network. Highlighting the hybrid aggression of the Russian Federation, including widespread disinformation and cyber warfare, Eugene Czolij urged support from the international community in helping to reduce interference by the Russian Federation in Ukraine’s upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Drawing attention to human rights issues, the UWC President called for the release of more than 70 Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin and 100 hostages in Eastern Ukraine, and emphasized the need to deploy a UN peacekeeping mission to the Donbas region and an OSCE monitoring mission to Crimea. He also suggested that the EU consider appointing an EU Special Representative for Ukraine in view of its importance to the EU and its member states. In addition, Eugene Czolij noted the progress in Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration, and stressed the need to grant Ukraine a roadmap to NATO membership.
On 11 October 2018, the UWC President, together with the United States (U.S.) Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland, co-hosted a working lunch at the U.S. Embassy in honour of the visit to Brussels by U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Ambassador Kurt Volker.
On this day, Eugene Czolij took part in a hearing of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence of the European Parliament, which assessed the aggressive manoeuvres by the Russian Federation in the Sea of Azov and other Ukrainian issues.
During his visit, the UWC President was accompanied by Director of the UWC Mission to International Organizations in Brussels Maryna Iaroshevych and Deputy Director of the UWC Mission to International Organizations in Brussels Dmytro Panchuk.
“The Ukrainian World Congress will continue to urge the international community to take effective and consistent measures to help Ukraine in the protection of its territorial integrity, as well as in obtaining EU and NATO membership,” said UWC President Eugene Czolij.
List of individuals with whom the UWC President met:
Alvargonzález Alejandro, Ambassador, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy of NATO
Buzek Jerzy, Member of the European Parliament, Former President of the European Parliament, Member of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Costello Daniel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to the EU
Doczy Michael, Member of the Cabinet of Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations
Fotyga Anna, Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Gahler Michael, Member of the European Parliament, Standing Rapporteur on Ukraine at the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Grono Magdalena, Advisor to President of the European Council Donald Tusk
Keane Rory, Head of the UN Liaison Office for Peace and Security (UNLOPS)
Kobzova Jana, Policy Director at Rasmussen Global
Lété Bruno, Senior Fellow of Security and Defense at the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. in Brussels
López-Istúriz Antonio, Secretary General of the European People’s Party
Mayr-Harting Thomas, Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service
Portman Giles, Head of the East Stratcom Task Force, European External Action Service
Prystayko Vadym, Ambassador, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO
Saryusz-Wolski Jacek, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, Member of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
Sondland Gordon, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the U.S. to the European Union
Staffelmayr Sabine, Counsellor at the Working Party on Eastern Europe and Central Asia (COEST) of the Council of the EU, Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union
Tochytskyi Mykola, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Representative of Ukraine to the EU and the European Atomic Energy Community
Toenshoff Silke, Head of Unit, Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs, EU Committee of the Regions
Volker Kurt, Ambassador, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations
In the photo from left: D. Panchuk, A. Fotyga, E. Czolij and M. Iaroshevych
