UCC meets with Speaker of Ukraine’s Parliament

Banff, AB – January 6, 2008

Newly elected Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) President, Paul Grod met with Arseniy Yatseniuk, Speaker of Ukraine’s Parliament in the backdrop of Canada’s Rocky Mountains in Banff, Alberta on January 5, 2008. Mr. Yatseniuk took time out of his Canadian ski vacation to meet for several hours with Paul Grod and Zenon Potoczny, President of the Canada Ukraine Chamber of Commerce. The discussion was facilitated by H.E. Ihor Ostash, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada.

“During our highly engaging discussion we covered a wide variety of topics including the challenges facing the newly elected Speaker in leading Ukraine’s new Parliament, concrete steps to developing closer relations between Canada and Ukraine, the recognition of the Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian people, and the internment of Ukrainians during Canada’s first national internment operation,” stated Grod.

“Ukraine is beyond the phase in its development of seeking aid from Canada, rather we are looking to engage in a mutually beneficial and constructive bi-lateral and multi-lateral partnership with Canada,” stated Yatseniuk, “and we expect to underscore this intention with a visit to Canada by Ukraine’s President Victor Yushchenko in the late spring of 2008.”

The Speaker made a personal commitment to work with UCC in establishing a parliamentary internship program for Canadian students in Ukraine’s Parliament. “This will form part of a larger youth initiative which will be launched early this year, whereby UCC will develop a variety of internship opportunities for Canadian youth in both Canada and Ukraine. This aspect of UCC’s Youth Development Initiative will provide young Canadians with domestic and international experience in government and international affairs” stated Grod.