Leadership Conference in Washington Focuses on Ukraine's

INSIDE:• UCCA elects new president — page 3. • Kuchma and Putin discuss gas supplies — page 3. • Help Us Help the Children organizes summer camps — page 13. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVIII HE No.KRAINIAN 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2000 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Medvid denied tourist visa LeadershipT ConferenceU in Washington focuses W for visit to United States on Ukraine’s integration into global community by Yaro Bihun the fact that the people are dissatisfied, by Roman Woronowycz to the United States. Special to The Ukrainian Weekly he said. Kyiv Press Bureau The Public Affairs section of the U.S. As for fears about the establishment of Embassy issued a terse statement in WASHINGTON – The Washington a new dividing line in Europe after the KYIV – Almost exactly 15 years after response to efforts by The Weekly to obtain Group, the largest Ukrainian American first group of East European countries Myroslav Medvid – then a 25-year-old more details about the Medvid decision. professionals’ association in the United joins the European Union, he said, that Ukrainian sailor and today a clergyman – The statement said: “The applicant was States, on October 6-8 held its annual line exists and has always existed in the swam to the shores of New Orleans to plead denied a visa because he was unable to Leadership Conference which this year eyes of Western Europeans, who differ- for political asylum only to be escorted back overcome the presumption of intending focused on the issue of Ukraine’s integra- entiate between Eastern European coun- to his Soviet grain trawler by U.S. immigra- immigration as required by section 214 (B) tion into the global community. tries that were under Soviet domination tion officials and returned to the Soviet of the Immigration and Nationalities Act.” The conference considered the subject and those that were part of the Soviet Union, the U.S. government has told him Contrary to criminal law, U.S. immigra- in three expert panel discussions, as well Union itself. He explained that Ukraine again that he is not wanted in the United tion law holds that every visa applicant is as in speeches by the Ukrainian can cooperate and even become a mem- States. viewed as a potential immigrant and consid- Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires Oleksii ber of the West’s military alliance, Thirteen days before the anniversary date ered guilty until he proves his innocence by Berezhnyi and American Ambassador- NATO, but membership in its economic of his ill-fated defection attempt on October overcoming the burden of proof, which the designate to Ukraine Carlos Pascual. family, the EU, is another matter. 11, the U.S. Consulate in Kyiv, which is Rev. Medvid failed to do in the eyes of After two days of discussions, the con- On a positive note, Dr. Solchanyk responsible for issuing visas to Ukrainian Kyiv consular officials. sensus appeared to be that Ukraine should pointed out that, despite early gloomy pre- citizens who wish to travel to the United The Rev. Medvid said his request for a strive to integrate itself within European dictions by the CIA and others that States, denied the Rev. Medvid permission two-month tourist visa was turned down and global economic and political struc- Ukraine would fall apart because of ethnic because, in its opinion, he failed to docu- tures, even though it is not yet fully ready divisions and other considerations, today ment that he was not intending to immigrate (Continued on page 3) to take some of the necessary steps. there are no doubts about Ukraine’s viabil- The three-day conference program ity as a nation-state, with a normal, func- began on Friday evening with a reception tioning democratic process. Scythians rule in New York at the Embassy of Ukraine, discussions Oleh Havrylyshyn, a senior advisor in about forming a Business Development the European Division of the International by Helen Smindak southern Russia. Called “The Golden Forum within TWG and about Ukraine’s Monetary Fund, presented the case for leading intellectual journal Krytyka, a Deer of Eurasia: Scythian and Ukraine to welcome and take part in the NEW YORK – A hoard of spectacu- Sarmatian Treasures from the Russian banquet and dance, and a performance by globalization process, and become a mem- lar gold and silver treasures and other Steppes,” the show is supplemented by the Experimental Bandura Trio. The ber of the European Union. artifacts excavated by Ukrainian related Scythian, Sarmatian and weekend also included the presentation Prefacing his remarks with the caveat archaeologists from the tombs of the Siberian objects from the State of a TWG award to Orest Deychakiwsky that he was expressing his personal opin- Scythian warrior-nomads who once Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg for his years of work on behalf of human ions, Dr. Havrylyshyn said that globaliza- held sway over the steppes north of the and the Archaeological Museum of the rights and democracy in Ukraine tion is not a threat to Ukraine; indeed, it Black Sea has been put on display at city of Ufa. It includes a number of Ukraine’s official position on integra- may well help save it as a nation-state and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. tion with European and Euro-Atlantic open up enormous opportunities. The first such exhibition to come to (Continued on page 12) groupings was outlined at the outset of the He discounted what he called the the United States since Ukraine conference in a keynote address by Mr. “Poland is different” argument of those achieved independence, the collection Berezhnyi. He said that Ukraine is looking who maintain that Ukraine does not have “Gold of the Nomads: Scythian forward to further cooperation with NATO the wherewithal to compete. Neither did Treasures from Ancient Ukraine” is within its “distinct partnership” with the he find the “lack of natural resources” distinguished by the richness and vari- Western alliance and the Partnership for argument convincing, pointing to the suc- ety of its unique works of art as well Peace program. But it is neither pressing cesses of resource-less Japan and South as the support of First Lady Hillary for NATO membership now nor closing Korea, and the failure of resource-rich the door to that possibility in the future, he Rodham Clinton, its honorary chair- Venezuela and Nigeria. man. Unveiled for the press and muse- added. As for integration with the “Every country has its plusses and European Union, he said, Ukraine sees um members on October 12, the minuses,” Dr. Havrylyshyn said, noting exhibit was opened to the public the “full-fledged” EU membership as a long- that success comes from reforming old term goal. following day. structures as quickly as possible and using The exhibition spotlights over 170 Maintaining its “strategic relationship” one’s advantages and overcoming your with the United States “is essential for rare objects discovered in 62 mammoth disadvantages. “The issue is how to suc- burial mounds, or kurhans, in Ukraine, Ukraine,” Mr. Berezhnyi said, listing in ceed with what you have.” the bilateral agenda basket of that relation- and includes exceptional finds that have Ukraine, he said, must strive to eventu- come to light during the past decade. ship such goals as the establishment of a ally become a member of the EU. It normal trade regime – which is “long The artifacts are on loan from four should not wait for an invitation, but, like museums in Ukraine: the National overdue” – as well as U.S. support in Poland and the Czech Republic, it should International Monetary Fund and World Museum of the History of Ukraine, the keep knocking on Brussels’ door. “There’s Museum of Historical Treasures and the Bank decisions on Ukraine and on only one way to get in – keep asking for Institute of Archaeology of the Ukraine’s membership in the World Trade it,” he said. And the benefits of member- Academy of Sciences in Kyiv, as well Organization. ship, in trade and investment, are great, he as the State Historical Archaeological In the first panel, dealing with the added, pointing out that while foreign Preserve in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi. future of the nation-state and its implica- investment in Ukraine now is $9 to $10 This 4th century gold pendant, tions for Ukraine, Roman Solchanyk, an per capita, in the EU member-candidate During the same week, the which was intended to be worn on a analyst with the RAND Corp., juxta- countries the figure is “hundreds of dol- Metropolitan Museum of Art opened an necklace, was discovered near the posed some contradictory developments lars” per capita. exhibition of Scythian and Sarmatian village of Velyka Bilozerka, and opinion poll results that suggest that Conference participants heard the U.S. artifacts that focuses on 26 gold-plated Zaporizhia Oblast. The pendant is Ukrainians find it difficult to make a government perspective on the direction wood sculptures of deer with curling on loan from the Museum of final decision about themselves as a in which Ukraine should be going from antlers, discovered in a Sarmatian Historical Treasures of Ukraine to nation and where they feel they belong kurhan near the village of Fillipovka in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. regionally. But there is no doubt about (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2000 No. 43 Delegation from Kharkiv visits NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS U.S. cities to promote investment Officials accused of hiding info zling 86 million marks ($38 million) by Yaro Bihun the Embassy of Ukraine, co-sponsored by from a German compensation fund for Special to The Ukrainian Weekly The Washington Group, an association of KYIV – National Deputy Oleksander Nazi victims in Ukraine.

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