Leader of Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists meets with key U.S. officials in Washington (12/01/96)

Leader of Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists meets with key U.S. officials in Washington

by Michael Sawkiw Jr.
Ukrainian National Information Service

WASHINGTON - During her tour of the United States, Slava Stetsko, leader of the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, spent two days in Washington meeting with officials at the U.S. Department of State, members of the House of Representatives International Relations Committee, members of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and the American Foreign Policy Council.

She also met with Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Dr. Yuri Shcherbak, Edward Derwinski, former U.S. representative from Illinois, and Zbigniew Brzezinski, a well-known advocate of Ukrainian issues.

Beginning her tour in Washington on October 22, Mrs. Stetsko attended a press briefing at the Heritage Foundation where Hennadiy Udovenko, minister of foreign affairs for Ukraine, was the keynote speaker.

Immediately following the press briefing, Mrs. Stetsko met Jim Jatras, a member of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. In her comments, Mrs. Stetsko acknowledged the importance of the U.S. Senate action initiated by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) earmarking foreign assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $225 million for fiscal year 1997. The eventual enlargement of NATO also was discussed as Mrs. Stetsko emphasized that NATO has the right to expand without the "veto privilege" of a non-NATO country.

Mrs. Stetsko was also invited to participate in a roundtable discussion at the American Foreign Policy Council, a Washington think-tank dedicated to the formulation of conservative politics throughout the world. Many of the council's policy members are familiar with Ukraine and invited Mrs. Stetsko to update them on events occurring within the country, as well as current relations with the United States and Russia.

Mrs. Stetsko referred to the increasing wave of positive reforms happening in Ukraine, beginning with the ratification of the new Constitution, the continuing privatization of state-owned enterprises, and the introduction of the Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia.

Mrs. Stetsko proposed to hold a conference in Kyiv that would attempt to bring all Ukrainian reform-oriented parties together, along with policy groups from Washington, to analyze how effective policy can be formulated in the Ukrainian Parliament.

Beginning in the early morning hours of October 23, Mrs. Stetsko presided at a meeting at the U.S. Department of State with the senior officer of the Ukraine desk, Bruce Connuck. The constructive discussion ranged from NATO expansion to increasing U.S.-Ukraine bilateral relations. A luncheon with former Rep. Derwinski, an old acquaintance of Mrs. Stetsko, resulted in a dialogue about the participation of ethnic Americans in U.S. domestic politics.

The highlight of the visit by Mrs. Stetsko was a meeting with Dr. Brzezinski. Mrs. Stetsko, along with former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yevhen Marchuk, who also was in Washington that week, began an earnest conversation with Dr. Brzezinski about the domestic political situation in Ukraine, discussing issues such as the role of the military and Ukraine's participation in the Partnership for Peace program, the reform efforts of President Kuchma and the structure of Ukraine's security apparatus.

Dr. Brzezinski briefed the attendants about the Kyiv meeting of the American-Ukrainian Advisory Committee, which is composed of senior officials and public figures from both countries.

Ambassador Shcherbak met with Mrs. Stetsko at the Embassy and engaged her in a conversation regarding the economic assistance provided to Ukraine for FY 1997, the activities of the Ukrainian Embassy and a synopsis of Minister Udovenko's official visit to Washington.

Ambassador Shcherbak mentioned the positive relationship between the Ukrainian Embassy and the Ukrainian American community, in particular, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and its office in Washington. Mrs. Stetsko, as leader of the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, told Ambassador Shcherbak about the difficulties in Parliament regarding attempts to pass legislation for reform programs and the CUN's work throughout Ukraine.

On October 24 Mrs. Stetsko met with Mark Gage, senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee, who openly spoke about the current political situation in Ukraine, including the negative ramifications corruption has upon the reform efforts in Ukraine. Mrs. Stetsko spoke of Ukraine-Russia relations, noting that the Duma's proclamation of Sevastopol as a Russian city will increase tensions between the two countries.

During her three-day visit Mrs. Stetsko also met with several Ukrainian American activists. Attending a community-wide dinner were Roman Popadiuk, the first U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; Judge Bohdan Futey; George Nesterczuk, former executive director of the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS); and staff of the UNIS office.