Ukraine's consul general speaks in Pittsburgh about trade opportunities (03/21/99)

Ukraine's consul general speaks in Pittsburgh about trade opportunities

PITTSBURGH - Ukraine's consul general in New York, Yuriy Bohaievskiy, addressed an audience of 21 local dignitaries at a luncheon meeting at the Ramada Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh on March 10. The topic of Mr. Bohaievsky's speech was "Trade and Investment Opportunities in Ukraine."

He was invited to Pittsburgh in conjunction with the weeklong visit of Dr. Igor Antypov from Donetsk. Dr. Antypov is an alumnus of the Community Connections program, which is funded by the United States Information Agency's (USIA) Office of Citizen Exchanges to provide professional training to citizens of the former Soviet Union. Dr. Antypov visited Pittsburgh in the spring of 1997 and has returned to promote the expansion of cooperation between Pittsburgh and its unofficial sister city, Donetsk.

Mr. Bohaievskiy focused on increasing knowledge of and interest in Ukraine by members of the local business and policy-making communities. He addressed the major problems facing the Ukrainian economy, but explained that the situation in Ukraine is not as bleak as it seems. Abundant in mineral resources and arable farmland, Ukraine has a highly educated population that "should not be considered merely a source of cheap labor," he noted.

Dr. Antypov and the consul general discussed the new "Law on Special Economic Zones and Special Mode of Investment Activity in the Donetsk Region," which includes provisions for several years of tax abatements and other incentives for international investors.

During his stay Dr. Antypov met with representatives of the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie-Mellon University and LaRoche College. He presented lectures on Ukrainian language, culture and identity at a local high school and visited an elementary school.

He strengthened Donetsk's ties with the local Ukrainian community by attending the reorganization meeting of the Pittsburgh-Donetsk Sister Cities Committee and the regular monthly board meeting of the Ukrainian Technological Society.

He also visited Pittsburgh's School of Ukrainian Studies, and shared his experiences during an interview with Michael Komichak of the local Ukrainian Radio Program.

Welcoming remarks at the luncheon were provided by Marianne Geger, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge's representative for southwestern Pennsylvania.

Among the guests were: Schuyler Foerster, World Affairs Council; Kathy Risko, office of U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter; Prof. Bob Donnorummo, University of Pittsburgh Center for Russian and East European Studies; Linda Campbell, Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority; Samuel Bozzolla, Allegheny County Department of Economic Development; Briit Lorin, World Trade Center, Pittsburgh; Frank Horrigan, Penn's Southwest Association. Suzanne Cook and Dennis Unkovic, respectively, of the law firms Cohen & Grigsby and Meyer, Unkovic, & Scott; Kateryna Dowbenko, Ukrainian language instructor, University of Pittsburgh; and Charles P. Kostecki, president of the Ukrainian Technological Society.

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