BRAMA, Mar 20, 2005, 1:00 am ET
Ukrainian American communities to greet President of Ukraine
Washington, DC - By invitation of U.S. President George Bush, Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko will visit this country in early April. The President and his party is due to arrive late on April 3rd for a 3-day visit to Washington DC, Chicago and Boston. In addition to his U.S. counterpart, Mr. Yushchenko will be meeting with a variety of officials as well as making appearances among several Ukrainian American communities. President Yushchenko is expected to be accompanied by First Lady Kateryna Chumachenko Yushchenko, Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk, and other high level government representatives.
After his meeting at the White House, President Yushchenko is tentatively scheduled for a meeting with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a lecture at Georgetown University, dinner with Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, and other high level meetings.
Chicago, First Lady "Katya" Yushchenko's home town, is preparing for a gala reception of the Ukrainian leader. In Boston, President Yushchenko will receive the Kennedy "Profiles in Courage Award" and he is expected to lecture at Harvard University.
There is no confirmation yet about the possibility of an address by President Yushchenko at a joint meeting of the two houses of the U.S. Congress. Readers were asked to contact their congressional representatives both in the House and the Senate urging their support for such a meeting in an action item released by the Action Ukraine Coalition and published on Brama on March 11.
On Wednesday, the 6th of April, Ukrainian American communities are asked to be on alert to attend two special events to take place in Washington, DC.
Community centers are already booking buses for a commemoration rally at the Taras Shevchenko monument at 1:30 PM (tentative).
In addition to the outdoor gathering, a gala banquet is being planned in President Yushchenko's honor. The "Planning Committee for the Visit of the President of Ukraine April 2005" asked that the Ukrainian American public stay tuned for further information about ordering tickets. Space is limited - tickets will be sold on a "first come, first serve" basis. Updates will be posted on Brama Press as soon as they become available.
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