FIVE U.S. CITIZENS RECEIVE THEIR PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS IN NEW YORK FROM UKRAINE'S FOREIGN MINISTER YATSENYUK Vasyl Losten, Antonij Shcherba, Morgan Williams, Oksana Lykhovyd and Virlyana Tkach for their dedicated service to Ukraine

 

Action Ukraine Monitoring Service, New York, NY, Wed, Sep 26, 2007

NEW YORK - Five U.S. citizens received their Presidential Awards from Ukraine's Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a meeting and ceremony held in New York City Monday evening at the Ukrainian Institute of America.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, was in New York attending the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly. Minister Yatsenyuk spoke about Ukraine's foreign policy and thanked the five awardees for their outstanding service to Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Victor Yushchenko announced a series of state awards on Independence Day to those who made a contribution to Ukraine's development. Yushchenko stated the awards were to those, "who have served the Ukrainian state most loyally. I thank them for their professional and creative efforts."

The five U.S. citizens who received their presidential awards in New York on Monday were:

[1] Vasyl LOSTEN, bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic diocese in Stamford, CT, in 1997-2005, a US citizen, awarded the Distinguished Services Order (3rd degree);

[2] Antonij SHCHERBA, head of consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox church in the USA, a US citizen, awarded the Distinguished Services Order (3rd degree);

[3] Morgan WILLIAMS, President, the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council; Director, Government Affairs, Washington Office, SigmaBleyzer, a US citizen, awarded the Distinguished Services Order (3rd degree);

[4] Oksana LYKHOVYD, art producer of the Ukrayinska rodyna group of singers, New York, a US citizen, awarded the title of the Honorary Worker of Arts of Ukraine;

[5] Virlyana TKACH, art producer and director of the Mystetska grupa Yara theatrical group in New York, a US citizen, awarded the title of the Honorary Worker of Arts of Ukraine.

The Decree of the President of Ukraine # 739/2007 in part states the
following: "On awarding state decorations of Ukraine to foreign citizens for distinguished personal contributions in strengthening the image of Ukraine in the world, spreading the word about Ukraine's historical and present-day achievements and on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of Ukraine's independence..."

President Yushchenko "Wished the awardees success and expressed hopes they would continue to use their intellect to benefit Ukraine," in his Independence Day statement.

The order "For the Distinguished Services" is awarded for distinguished services in the economy, science, social, cultural, military, state, civil and other sectors. The 3rd degree is reserved specially for decorating foreigners" - the official document on state orders states.

Minister Yatsenyuk was introduced by Jaroslav Kryshtalsky, President of the Ukrainian Institute of America.  Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Oleh Shamshur, and the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Ambassador H.E. Mr. Yuriy Sergeyev, attended the meeting.
62ND SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who is attending the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly, met a number of counterparts there on 24 September and also delivered a report on how Ukraine is implementing the Kyoto protocol on climate change, the UNIAN news agency said on 25 September.

In a report the UNIAN quoted Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andriy Deshchytsya as saying that Yatsenyuk met Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.

They discussed the Czech Republic's visa policy ahead of the country's accession to the EU's Schengen zone and agreed on bilateral consultations on consular and legal issues, the agency said. It added that the two ministers confirmed their interest in regional projects such as the Vysegrad group.

Yatsenyuk also discussed easing visa regulations with Slovak Foreign Minister Jan Kubis, the agency said in the same report. They agreed to sign an accord relaxing visa restrictions for residents of border areas similar to the one signed recently by Ukraine and Hungary, the report said.

Yatsenyuk also met Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who informed his Ukrainian counterpart that an Iraqi embassy will open in Kiev soon.

UNIAN added that on the same day Yatsenyuk met Island's President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, Comoros President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Monaco's Prince Albert II, as well as the foreign ministers of Sweden and Mauritius.

UNIAN said that Yatsenyuk attended a high-level meeting on climate change, which took place as part of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly.

Addressing the meeting, Yatsenyuk said that a new organization should be set up to bring about "environmental solidarity and responsibility and to create an all-encompassing system of international environmental security".
He also spoke of Ukraine's efforts to implement the Kyoto protocol, the agency said.

On September 23, 2007 in the framework of the visit to New York, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk met with the U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In the course of the conversation, the parties exchanged views on the state and prospect of bilateral cooperation and in particular discussed the issues of political dialogue, commercial-economic and branch cooperation, interaction in the sphere of energy security, defense, counteraction to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and regional security.

The heads of the foreign policy offices of the two countries discussed the possible terms of visits at high and top levels. In this context, Mr.
Yatsenyuk renewed the invitation for Mrs. Rice to visit Ukraine in the near future.

In addition, the parties discussed the preparation of a new Roadmap of the Ukrainian-American relations in which special attention will be paid to educational programmes and students' and youth's exchanges.

During the meeting, Mr.Yatsenyuk and Mrs.Rice discussed the political situation in Ukraine in the view of new election to the Parliament of Ukraine on Sunday, September 30.