BRAMA, July 24, 2001, 11pm ET

New Consul General in NY brings news of fewer travel restrictions, preparations for Independence Day

Consul General Serhiy Pohorel'tsev (left) displays photo prints to Askold Lozynskyj that will used in the 10th anniversay exhibit.

New York, 7/24/2001 [BRAMA] - Work at the Consulate of Ukraine in New York is never-ending and forever-changing. At least, that's the way it seems since Ukraine gained its independence 10 years ago. On a typical day at the Consulate, streams of people line up for travel document processing and other matters. Visiting citizens of Ukraine come to update their passports, tourists stop in to purchase visas for travel to Ukraine, and others are there to request genealogical documentation from Ukraine. Revisions to travel-related procedures being adopted by Ukraine as its post-independence legislation evolves, keep both sides on their toes and the Consulate staff have become the resident experts on the latest changes.

This past June, just in time for the summer tourism rush, a new policy regarding registration for Americans in Ukraine has been implemented and announced by the Foreign Ministry. Beginning July 1, foreigners tooling around Ukraine are no longer required to register at local OVIR offices. Registration takes place now only once at the point of entry into the country, whether an international airport, vehicular or railroad border crossing point. The convenience of this new procedure eases the bureaucratic burden ordinarily carried by travel agents, and makes independent travel into Ukraine that much less confusing and troublesome. This was underscored by Consul General Serhiy Pohorel'tsev as a very positive step in the effort to reduce travel restrictions.

Mr. Pohorel'tsev also spoke about the probable elimination of the mandatory purchase of medical insurance at the border. Currently, foreigners are obligated to pay a nominal sum for each day spent in Ukraine to cover any unforeseen costs associated with emergency medical care. It is expected that as early as this fall, the current policy will be replaced by a more "civilized" method for insuring those costs.

Another important change in procedure has been the adoption of a decision regarding travelers from countries of the former Soviet Union. Until recently, citizens of all fSU countries continued to enjoy essentially unrestricted travel in and out of Ukraine, just using their domestic identification "passports" for customs control. Now, with the exception of the Russian Federation and Belarus, all fSU residents must present an international travel passport in order to enter the country.

Consular functions don't begin or end with processing paperwork and travel documents. As the official representative of Ukraine in the City of New York, Mr. Serhiy Pohorel'tsev counts relations with area Ukrainian-Americans as an important component of his daily routine. Gone are the days when contact with people outside the Consulate's enclave had to be Moscow-approved, and interaction with the "anti-Soviet" Ukrainian Diaspora forbidden. On the contrary, such contact is now encouraged and recognized as an important contributing factor toward Ukraine's state-building efforts.

Prior to his New York assignment, Mr. Pohorel'tsev held a consular post in Argentina. Appointed to the position of Consul General in April of this year (he had been the Acting Consul General since his December 1999 arrival in New York), Mr. Pohorel'tsev received his credentials in June 2001. The new Consul General has taken his responsibilities to heart, and has continued to extend the policy of outreach to the local Diaspora community and beyond that had been initiated by his predecessors. Since independence in 1991, former Consul General Yuriy Bohaievsky, and Viktor Kryzhaniwsky before him, both had strong ties to the supportive Ukrainian-American community in contrast to the distance that was maintained by the Soviet-run diplomatic corps.

One of Mr. Pohorel'tsev's first major undertakings is to plan a series of events to commemorate Ukraine's 10th anniversary - considered by many to be a critical threshold in the long and arduous history of the country's struggle for independence. In the works are a photo print exhibit of the first 10 years, receptions with various groups, press releases, and possibly a street festival or other similar event - all designed to increase awareness about Ukraine among the general public in this area, and as a show of appreciation for the continuing support of the Ukrainian-American communities. Mr. Pohorel'tsev expects to work closely with the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council regarding the details of the proposals. Due to major events and festivities being planned on the territory of Ukraine, local New York City celebrations that are hosted by or to be attended by diplomatic staff from Ukraine will be postponed until September, and could even stretch out into the year's end. Askold Lozynskyj, President of World Congress of Ukrainians, was on-hand to offer his own suggestions for a jointly arranged event that would appropriately commemorate the momentous occasion.

Ukraine officially observes Independence Day on August 24, and will be marking it in Kyiv this year with the week-long 3rd Universal Forum of Ukrainians ("III Всесвітній Форум Українців", August 18-25). Detroit-based Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus was designated as the official representative cultural group from the United States for the event, and the Consul General was able to assure Mr. Lozynskyj that the group would receive its travel visas free of charge. In fact, said Mr. Lozynskyj, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the forum organizing committee have been extremely generous in assisting Ukrainians in the Diaspora with their travel arrangements and accommodations.

Consul General Pohorel'tsev invites all New Yorker area Ukrainians, neighbors, and friends to join in this year's festivities to make the 10th anniversary of independent Ukraine a memorable and lasting one.

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