BRAMA, June 24, 2004, 9:00 am ET
Press Release
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Meets with U.S. Members of Congress and the UCCA
Photo left to right: Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA); Larissa Kyj, Executive Vice President - UCCA; Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA_, Co-Chair - Congressional Ukrainian Caucus; Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD); H.E. Kostyantyn Hryshchenko, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC); H.E. Mykhajlo Reznik, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States; Michael Sawkiw, Jr., President - UCCA. In front is Rep. James Langevin (D-RI).
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Washington, DC (UNIS) - Monday, June 21, 2004, the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus (CUC) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) sponsored an evening dinner for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, H.E. Kostyantyn Hryshchenko, and Members of Congress. The event, held in the Capitol building, brought together Members of Congress, H.E. Hryshchenko, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States Mykhajlo Reznik, as well as representatives from the UCCA.
As hosts of the evening's event, Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), co-chair of the CUC, and Michael Sawkiw, Jr., and Larissa Kyj, President and Executive Vice President of the UCCA, respectively, greeted the attendees of the dinner reception. In his opening remarks, Rep. Weldon thanked H.E. Hryshchenko for his progressive, pro-Western foreign policy, which aims to integrate Ukraine closer into Euro-Atlantic structures. The importance of Ukraine's role in the international coalition in Iraq was also emphasized as a credit to Ukraine's decision to be a participant in the war against global terrorism. "Let's not underestimate the importance of the upcoming Ukrainian presidential elections," stated Rep. Weldon, "and their need to be held in a free and democratic manner. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Ukrainians to ensure transparency for the October presidential race."
With that, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus also mentioned the close relationship that exists with the Ukrainian community, in particular the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. Adding to Rep. Weldon's comments, Mr. Sawkiw welcomed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Washington (his first trip back since assuming his current position) and stressed the significance of Ukraine's foreign policy as that country attempts to further integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures such as the European Union, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and NATO. "We, from the community [Ukrainian American]," stated Mr. Sawkiw, "have a special bond towards the land of our forefathers, and with your presence in Washington, it serves to strengthen the relationship between Ukraine and the United States, especially in light of the forthcoming Ukrainian presidential elections. May they [the elections] be democratic and fair and truly represent the will of the Ukrainian people."
The Members of Congress in attendance included: Rep. James Langevin (D-RI); Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ); Rep. Timothy Murphy (R-PA); Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA); Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD); Rep. John McHugh (R-NY); Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA); Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA); Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC); Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA); and, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY). Each Member of Congress had an opportunity to greet the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as to inquire about the current situation in Iraq where Ukrainian peacekeepers are serving, the mood of the general population in Ukraine as it approaches the upcoming elections, and general discussions about world affairs. In response to the questions, H.E. Hryshchenko thanked the Members of Congress for their interest in Ukrainian issues and spoke to the tone of the evening's discussion, which centered upon Ukraine's democratic processes and the upcoming elections in Ukraine. "There will be many candidates for the presidential elections in Ukraine," emphasized Minister Hryshchenko, "but much like Zbigniew Brzezinski stated during his recent trip to Ukraine, unlike Russia, we don't know who the next president of Ukraine will be months ahead of time." The minister added that that shows a sign of transparency in the democratic processes occurring in Ukraine. In addition, H.E. Hryshchenko spoke of the Ukrainian peacekeeping troops in Iraq, the obstacles they face, as well as their experiences in maintaining the peace.
Following the discussion and a brief dinner, the Members of Congress thanked the minister for his time to meet with them. Likewise, the Minister thanked the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America for their sponsorship in making it possible to have an opportunity to exchange ideas about the current status of U.S.-Ukrainian relations.
Mr. Hryshchenko (former Ukrainian ambassador to the United States) was in Washington, D.C. to meet with various government officials including Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.
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