Yushchenko delivers keynote address at founding dinner of Orange Circle (09/25/05)

Yushchenko delivers keynote address at founding dinner of Orange Circle

NEW YORK - The Orange Circle, a new international initiative to support democratic reforms in Ukraine, held its founding meeting on September 15 at New York City's Rainbow Room. The keynote address at the dinner was delivered by Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko, who warmly welcomed the initiative and urged all friends of Ukraine to support the new initiative's work.

The dinner drew some 400 participants, including representatives of the business community, former government leaders and the Ukrainian diaspora.

A wide array of eminent persons attended, including Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski; former U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills; United Nations Assistant General Secretary Kalman Mizsei, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright; Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.); ex-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Green Miller; actress Polly Draper, representing her brother, hi-tech investor Tim Draper; Rep. Corinne Brown (D-Fla.); Coca Cola executive Sonya Soutus; Roman Kyzyk, founder and principal in the Draper Fisher Jurvetson Nexus Fund; Natalie Jaresko, managing partner of Horizon Capital; former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner; heavyweight boxing champion Vitalii Klitschko; European Union Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner; and Deputy EU Commissioner for External Relations Karel Kovanda.

Major corporate leaders and investors also took part.

Prior to the dinner, President Yushchenko spent an hour with major Orange Circle donors and eminent persons at a VIP discussion focused on Ukraine's economic reforms and growth potential.

In his keynote address, President Yushchenko expressed strong support for the Orange Circle and thanked the eminent world leaders and members of the diaspora who have come together in the new initiative that will promote Ukraine's integration into the international community. President Yushchenko expressed his appreciation for the support given to the Orange Circle by founding board members U.S. investor George Chopivsky, Canadian businessman James Temerty, Prof. Alexander Motyl of Rutgers University, Ihor Rakowsky of Citibank, East-West Management Institute President Adrian Hewryk, Chicago attorney and banker Julian Kulas, and Nadia Diuk, senior director of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Mr. Yushchenko also addressed recent events in Ukraine, emphasizing that the dismissal of the government of Yulia Tymoshenko and of National Security and Defense Council Secretary Petro Poroshenko was a result of the "loss of a team spirit" that had prevented the smooth implementation of the reforms he had promised during has campaign.

The president stated that the new government he was putting in place would move quickly to create a more friendly environment for Ukraine's entrepreneurs and external investors, and stated that increased protections for Ukraine's most economically vulnerable required a business-friendly pro-growth environment.

Dr. Brzezinski, who delivered the evening's other major address, called for Ukraine's integration into such structures as the World Trade Organization, NATO, and the European Union, and underscored that the stakes in the success of the Orange Revolution were high. "The success of the Orange Revolution," he said, "will have a major impact on the evolution of Russia."

Dr. Brzezinski also called on the leaders of the Orange Revolution to preserve civility and to avoid recriminations amid developing political differences.

Adrian Karatnycky, founder and coordinator of the Orange Circle, reported on the progress that already had been made by the month-old initiative to support Ukraine's democratic and economic reforms, and press for Ukraine's integration into the "community of prosperous democratic states."

The dinner also honored the memory of independent journalist Heorhii Gongadze, who was abducted and murdered five years ago in Kyiv. The crowd warmly greeted his widow, Myroslava Gongadze, who has spearheaded the international campaign to bring those responsible for his murder and for ordering his abduction to justice.

The new organization's international board now includes Dr. Brzezinski, Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, former Czech President Vaclav Havel, U.S. high tech investor Tim Draper, European Parliament Vice-President Janusz Onyszkiewicz, former European Commissioner Emma Bonino and Vitalii Klitschko.

President Yushchenko has committed to taking part in Orange Circle events on major overseas visits and in Ukraine. The new privately funded non-governmental organization also has the support of a broad spectrum of Orange Revolution leaders, including Ukraine's First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko and Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk, who attended the Founding dinner, as well as State Secretary Oleh Rybachuk and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

According to Mr. Karatnycky, the Orange Circle has been asked by the Yushchenko administration to work with Ukrainian think-tanks and civic groups to organize a conference focused on the achievements and setbacks since the Orange Revolution.

The Orange Circle also expects to be very active in promoting international investment in Ukraine and supporting efforts to promote Ukraine's entry into the European Union, Mr. Karatnycky added.

Corporate and organization donors of the new initiative include Coca-Cola, Horizon Capital, Chadbourne & Parke LLC, Port Vera Development, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Self Reliance Federal Credit Union of New York, Northland Power Inc., the Heritage Foundation of Chicago, the PBN Company and the Canadian Ukrainian Parliamentary Project.

Individual donors include George Chopivsky, Julian Kulas, Julian Baczynsky, Borys Chabursky, and Iryna and Jaroslaw Kurowyckyj.

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