On 3-4 July 2017 in Bern, Switzerland, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij held meetings with the Federal Chancellor of Switzerland, Walter Thurnherr, high-ranking government officials, and the Ukrainian community during which he promoted the fundamental values of civilization, and specifically the principles of the territorial integrity of states, and respect for and safeguarding of human rights.
During the meetings, the UWC President noted the significance of the non-recognition by Switzerland of the illegal occupation of Crimea and the implementation of restrictive measures to prevent the circumvention of European Union sanctions against the Russian Federation for its gross non-compliance with the Minsk agreements. The UWC President called for Switzerland to continue assisting Ukraine in restoring its territorial integrity. Eugene Czolij also called to further efforts to secure the release by the Russian Federation of Ukrainian political prisoners and reduce the human, national and religious rights violations of the residents of the occupied territories of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.
`The UWC President thanked Switzerland for the technical and humanitarian assistance provided in the framework of the Swiss Cooperation Strategy for Ukraine 2015-2018 in the amount of nearly 100 million Swiss francs.
Geneva
On 5 July 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij met with high-ranking representatives of international organizations and participated in a commemorative evening on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the UWC.
During the meetings, the UWC President called for the international community to ensure respect by the Russian Federation of the UN Charter and fundamental human rights. In this context, Eugene Czolij encouraged efforts contributing to the release by the Russian Federation of Ukrainian political prisoners and a reduction in the violations of the human, national and religious rights of the residents of the occupied territories of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, and support for the deployment of a permanent observer mission to Crimea. The UWC President noted the importance of international aid in response to the humanitarian needs in Ukraine resulting from the aggression of the Russian Federation, including the overwhelming number of internally displaced persons. Eugene Czolij also focused attention on the positive changes in Ukraine which is reforming, battling corruption and modernizing.
The UWC President delivered the keynote address during a commemorative event marking the 50th anniversary organized by the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN Branch and Other International Organizations in Geneva.
POLAND
On 6-8 July 2017, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij fulfilled a working visit to Poland during which he attended an event of the Summit of the “Three Seas Initiative”, participated as a panelist in the 360/OS Open Source Summit and addressed a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UWC, and held meetings with high-ranking state officials, representatives of civil society and the Ukrainian community in Poland.
On 6 July 2017, the UWC President was present in Krasinski Square in Warsaw when President of the U.S.A. Donald Trump in his address specifically stated: “We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere…”
In addition, on the invitation of President of Poland Andrzej Duda, Eugene Czolij attended a Gala Evening on the occasion of the Summit of the “Three Seas Initiative.”
On 7 July 2017 Eugene Czolij spoke on the topic of disinformation in a panel discussion titled “What the Fact?” during the 360/OS Open Source Summit organized by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. He also attended a closing reception during which the Atlantic Council presented its Freedom awards.
On 6 and 7 July 2017, the UWC President held meetings with high-ranking state officials and representatives of Polish civil society during which he recognized Poland’s support for Ukraine in the fight against the aggression of the Russian Federation and in furthering the processes of Euro and EuroAtlantic integration. During the meetings, Eugene Czolij also raised the issues of the common history of the Ukrainian and Polish peoples, including the anti-Ukrainian Akcija Wisla, the 70th anniversary of which is being marked this year, and called for a constructive resolution of these issues.
The UWC President discussed with Bishop Artur Mizinski, the Secretary General of the Conference of Bishops of Poland, the presentation of the book “Facts of the Przemysl Archeparchy. Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation in documents of the clergical hierarchy” and the Christian approach to resolving issues of the common historical past.
On 8 July 2017, Eugene Czolij addressed a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UWC in Warsaw organized by UWC member organization Union of Ukrainians in Poland led by Petro Tyma. The commemorative program included a presentation of UWC Certificates of Recognition and the screening of a short documentary film “50 years of the Ukrainian World Congress.”
Eugene Czolij also met with leaders of the Ukrainian community in Poland to discuss strategic issues of continued cooperation and the organization on 15 August 2017 in Warsaw and Łańcut initiatives to honour Major General of the Army of the Ukrainian National Republic Mark Bezruchko who, in 1920 near Warsaw, helped stop the advance of the Bolshevik army into Europe.
“The Ukrainian World Congress calls for Poland to continue supporting Ukraine that, by defending its borders, in fact halts the advance of Russian imperialism to the West,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
CZECH REPUBLIC
On 9-11 July 2017 in Prague, Czech Republic, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij met with high-ranking state officials and representatives of civil society, and participated in a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the UWC.
On 10-11 July 2017 Eugene Czolij had a series of meetings with high-ranking officials and representatives of civil society to whom he expressed gratitude for the assistance of the Czech Republic for Ukraine in the fight against Russian Federation aggression and in furthering Euro and Euro-Atlantic integration processes, and urged continued support for Ukraine which today is significantly reforming and modernizing. The UWC President also thanked the governing authorities of the Czech Republic for bringing to trial the so-called honorary consulate of the Donetsk People’s Republic, the activities of which the regional court in Ostrava ruled illegal on the grounds that it violated international law. Taking into account that the Czech Republic currently heads the Council of Europe, the UWC President encouraged support for the release by the Russian Federation of Ukrainian political prisoners and the deployment of a Council of Europe observer mission (or a joint mission with the OSCE) to Crimea. In addition, the UWC President called upon the Czech Republic to recognize the Holodomor of 1932-33 an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people. He also raised the issue of the replacement of the Museum of the Liberation Movement of Ukraine, which was destroyed during the Second World War, and access to a government program on the maintenance of graves.
