UWC raises current Ukrainian issues with UN

On 9 October 2013 in New York, U.S.A., Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij raised current Ukrainian issues during meetings with Senior Advisor for Europe of the U.S. Mission to the UN William Pope, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the UK Mission to the UN Peter Wilson, and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev. Participating with the UWC President in the meetings was the President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) Tamara Gallo Olexy.

Eugene Czolij emphasized the importance of signing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement during the Third Summit of the Eastern Partnership in Vilnius on 28-29 November 2013.

The UWC President also drew attention to the actions of Russia which openly exerts political and economic pressures on Ukraine to derail its integration into the European Union. With its actions, Russia is violating the 1994 Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons that it signed with the U.S., the UK and Ukraine, which includes Russia’s commitment “to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind.”

During the meetings the parties also discussed the necessity of monitoring Russia’s fulfillment of its obligations toward its Ukrainian minority and issues related to UWC’s quadrennial reports to the UN. Eugene Czolij also encouraged the U.S. and the UK to monitor the partial re-elections to the Ukrainian Parliament scheduled for 15 December 2013.

In addition, during his meeting with Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev the UWC President discussed the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Taras Shevchenko at the UN.

The UWC President also presented these topics to the UCCA leadership and representatives of member organizations, and discussed a strategy of continued cooperation on key issues with UCCA President Tamara Gallo Olexy.

“I call upon the U.S. and the UK to consistently monitor Russia’s adherence to the Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and react appropriately to any violations,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.