Ottawa diplomats toast Ukraine's anniversary (09/01/96)

Ottawa diplomats toast Ukraine's anniversary

by Christopher Guly

OTTAWA - The day before Ukraine's Independence Day, Uk-raine's third ambassador to Canada, Volodymyr Furkalo, opened the doors to his Ottawa residence to mark the fifth anniversary of Ukraine's liberation from Soviet rule.

While diplomats attended the August 23 evening reception in the city's tony Island Park Drive district, the Canadian government was represented at Independence Day celebrations in Kyiv by Manitoba Sen. Gildas Molgat, speaker of the Canadian Senate. While in Ukraine, Sen. Molgat met with President Leonid Kuchma, Oleksander Moroz, speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, and Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Hennadiy Udovenko.

Back in Ottawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy congratulated Ukraine for reaching its fifth anniversary milestone. "Canada is proud to have supported Ukraine's transformation since gaining independence," he said. "We are pleased to celebrate Ukraine's fifth anniversary of independence and its success in implementing its political and economic reform. Canada looks forward to an even closer relationship with Ukraine in the years ahead." In October, Mr. Axworthy will travel to Ukraine to lead a business delegation for the first Canada-Ukraine Inter-governmental Economic Commission and to forge a closer bilateral partnership with Ukraine.

Meanwhile, several embassies throughout Ottawa joined in Ukraine's anniversary celebrations.

Croatian Ambassador Zeljko Urban emphasized Croatia's "friendship" with Ukraine, which "goes beyond the fact that both countries are emerging democracies which liberated themselves from a Communist past," he said. "We found ourselves many times in a similar situation, and roughly about the same time, we were able to secure our freedom and independence. Today, both countries are developing democracy and prosperity, and fighting very hard to get rid of the difficulties inherited from the old systems."

L.P. Klopper, first secretary of the South African high commission, said the relationship between her country and Ukraine has "really taken shape" since the opening of Ukraine's Embassy in Pretoria earlier this year. South Africa is looking forward to the first visit of Ukraine's minister of the Cabinet of Ministers in November, she said.

"[We] also have great appreciation for Ukraine's participation in peacekeeping efforts in Angola, which was demonstrated by the arrival of Ukrainian troops to build bridges in Angola," said Ms. Klopper. She added that South African President Nelson Mandela had extended his personal congratulations to President Kuchma on the fifth anniversary of Ukrainian independence.

Meanwhile, at the Slovakian Embassy in Ottawa, Ambassador Anton Hykisch said Ukraine was one of his country's "best friends." There are an estimated 30,000 Ukrainians living in eastern Slovakia.

"We are probably just behind the United States, with the second-highest rate of established joint ventures between our two countries," said Mr. Hykisch. "We also share a common history. Ukraine broke free of its Soviet masters. We broke free of our Czech masters - although, with our January 1, 1993, independence, we are still a little younger than Ukraine as a free country."