UCC President Congratulates Ukraine on the 20th Anniversary of its Declaration of State Sovereignty

Winnipeg, Canada – July 16, 2010 -Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Paul Grod today marked the anniversary, twenty years ago today, when the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, which led to Ukraine’s re-emergence among the sovereign nations of the world. The Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine proclaimed the right of the Ukrainian nation to sovereignty, independence, integrity and indivisibility of the Ukraine’s authority within its boundaries and its independence and equality in foreign relations.”I extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to the people of Ukraine on this very special anniversary,” stated Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Paul Grod. “When I look back over the accomplishments of Ukraine since its re-emergence on the world stage as an independent country, I commend its people for, among other things, building a tolerant state that has emerged as one of the few true democracies of the former Soviet Union. I appeal to the newly-minted Government of Ukraine to institutionalize the development of a Ukrainian national identify and guarantee the fundamental freedoms of its people.”

The Declaration of July 16, 1990 announced that Ukraine is a sovereign nation-state and affirmed its boundaries its inalienable right to self-determination, and that its citizens were comprised of all nationalities of the people of Ukraine who were the only source of state power. The Declaration proclaimed that the people of Ukraine have the exclusive right to possess, use and manage the national wealth of Ukraine, and all nationalities living on its territory are entitled to free national and cultural development.

“The Ukrainian Canadian community wishes to see Ukraine as a great country with a strong and unified Ukrainian national identity. We will continue to work with the people of Ukraine in helping them overcome the legacy of their difficult past and support the development of a democratic, stable, prosperous, and harmonious Ukrainian State” said Grod. “The twenty million Ukrainians who live in 35 countries abroad including 1.2 million in Canada, have an obligation to support the continued advancement of Ukrainian culture, language, history and heritage, as well as to support the democratic, civil, social, economic and state development of Ukraine as documented in the Declaration.”

The Declaration was the first step towards the revival of Ukrainian statehood, the fall of the Soviet Union and was the turning point in initiating the development of a sovereign, independent state whose independence was declared a year later on August 24, 1991.

The Declaration laid the basic principles and priorities of Ukraine’s foreign policy including equal participation in international affairs, the active promotion of universal peace and international security as well as the direct participation in the European process and European structures.