EMBASSY OF UKRAINE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

3350 M Street, NW · Washington DC 20007 · 202/333-0606 · 202/333-0817 (fax)

April 20, 1998
For immediate release
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On April 17, 1998, President Leonid Kuchma appointed Mr.Borys Tarasyuk the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Ukraine's new Foreign Minister is a carrier diplomat.

Since September 1995, he has served as Ukraine's Ambassador to Benelux countries with residence in Brussels, Belgium. On October 8, 1997 Mr.Tarasyuk was also appointed the Head of Mission of Ukraine to NATO.

Mr.Hennadiy Udovenko, further to his election to the Ukraine's parliament - the Verkhovna Rada - on April 3, 1998 forwarded a letter of resignation to the President of Ukraine. This action was prompted by the relevant provision of the Constitution of Ukraine which does not allow the members of the Parliament to hold a position in the Government. Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko will continue to perform his duties as President of the 52nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Born on January 1, 1949, in the Zhytomyr region, Ukraine, Mr.Borys Tarasyuk in 1975 (upon graduation from the Kiev State University, Department of International Law) began his professional carrier in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

In 1994-1995 he was the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine;

• 1992-1994 Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine;
• 1986-1992 First Secretary, Counselor, Director of the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Director of the Policy Analysis and Planning Department;
• 1981-1986 Second Secretary, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, New York;
• 1975-1981 Attache, Third, Second, First Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;

Other positions:

• 1992-1995 Chairman of the National Committee on Disarmament;
• 1993-1995 Chairman of the State Interagency Commission on Ukraine's accession to the Council of Europe;
• 1993-until present Member of the Ukrainian-American Consultative Committee;
• 1993-until present Member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for East-West Studies, New York;

Education:

• 1970-1975 Student of the Kiev State University, Department of International Law;
• 1964-1968 Student of the Kiev High Technical School of Communications.
• State Decorations:
• August, 1996 decorated with the Order of Merit of the President of Ukraine

Mr.Tarasyuk is married. He and his wife Nina have two daughters, a son and a grandson.