www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Leonid Kuchma marks one year in office — page 2. • Ukraine's National Ballet at Spoleto Festival — page 10. • The feast of Kupalo — page 11. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXIII No. 29 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 16, 1995 $1.25/$2 in Ukraine Ukrainian World Congress expands Ukraine seeks foreign investment, representation of diaspora groups readies new economic legislation by Andrij Wynnyckyj harsh economic conditions. by Marta Kolomayets panies for Ukrainian currency at auctions, Toronto Press Bureau Dr. Cipywnyk said he is disturbed by Kyyiv Press В urea just like Ukrainians are allowed to do. the harassment and brutality directed at Foreigners will be able also to freely TORONTO - The Ukrainian World journalists in Ukraine. "I think it's definite­ KYYIV - Despite Ukraine's current purchase stock in companies on the Congress. Secretariat, convening for its ЗІ st ly within our mandate, as an objective but positive political climate, its status in the country's stock market, which is expect­ plenary meeting, voted to broaden the orga­ sympathetic observer, to point out where world of foreign investment and as an eco­ ed to list more than 100 privatized com­ nization's purview by accepting member­ abuses have been committed and where nomic partner for the West, is still murky. panies by the end of 1995. Only $366.9 million (U.S.) has been ship applications from Ukrainian represen­ inequities exist," the UWC president said. Today, however, 62 standards regulate invested in the country between 1992 and tations in Russia, the former Yugoslavia, "The metropolitan pledged $1,000 to foreign investment activity in Ukraine at 1994 by foreign companies; $17.5 million Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. the HRC, as a kind of symbolic seed different levels, whether it be through was from countries of the Commonwealth About 50 representatives of international grant to ensure that it starts up its work legislation or guidelines issued by the of Independent States (CIS). organizations, national umbrella groups and again," Dr. Cipywnyk said. National Bank of Ukraine. the major Churches attended the meeting at The Ukrainian Catholic hierarch is President Leonid Kuchma is targeting "The biggest obstacle in Ukraine," which the number of countries represented also part of the revival of another institu­ such problems, trying to attract foreign according to John Hewko of Baker and within the UWC was increased to 18. tion, the UWC's Church Commission, investment through new economic legisla­ McKenzie, the first Western law firm to The new national member-organizations which became inactive in the mid-1980s. tion as well as a June 6 decree that gives open in Kyyiv back in 1991, is instability are the Alliance of Ukrainians of Russia Dr. Cipywnyk said that, as a result of foreigners the same access to privatization in its legislation. (Obiednannia Ukraintsiv Rosiyi), the consultations with Ukrainian Orthodox that is given to Ukrainian nationals. The strategic investor wants to look Rusyn and Ukrainian Association of Metropolitan Wasyly Fedak, terms of The first reading of the new foreign down the road 20 to 30 years, he noted. Yugoslavia (Soyuz Rusyniv і Ukraintsiv reference for a newly active body are investment law, passed by the Ukrainian "In many ways, a bad law that stays on Yugoslaviyi), Association of Ukrainians of being prepared for this fall. Parliament in June, attempts to balance the the books five years is preferable to good the Dniester Region (Spilka Ukraintsiv investment activity of foreign and domes­ laws that change every five minutes," A Kyyiv office Prydnistrovia), the Society of Ukrainians tic investors, canceling business profit tax Mr. Hewko told the Eastern Economist, of Lithuania (Hromada Ukraintsiv Lytvy), Also on the agenda was the possible and foreign investment profit privileges, an English-language business magazine the Ukrainian Society of Latvia (Ukrainska opening of a UWC office in Kyyiv. something Western investors have not published in Kyyiv. Hromada Latviyi) and the Ukrainian According to Dr. Cipywnyk, national um­ been happy about. However it is some­ Stuart Reich, the president of Utel, the Countrymen's Association of Estonia brella organizations in North America - the thing that is a key factor in Ukraine's Ukrainian-U.S.-Dutch-German joint ven­ (Ukrainske Zemliatstvo Estoniyi). Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the reform policy: there will be no difference ture telephone company, which account­ The UWC sessions on June 2-3 were Ukrainian Congress Committee of America between "insiders and outsiders." ed for about 25 percent, or $70 million attended by Ukraine's ambassador to and the Ukrainian American Coordinating Under the proposed new regulations, (U.S.) of foreign capital investment in Canada, Viktor Batyuk, and Oleksander reported the Wall Street Journal, foreign Sobotovych, Ukrainian consul-general in (Continued on page 12) investors will be able to buy shares in com­ (Continued on page 14) Toronto. Following the plenum, UWC President Dr. Dmytro Cipywnyk expressed satisfac­ tion with "some of the best sessions we've Canadian professionals discuss challenges to community had yet,""' because all the required reports by Christopher Guly For instance, members looked at how to counteract the way had been filed in advance and "people their multicultural identity within Canada is under attack these arrived ready for intelligent and in-depth MONTREAL - Whither their roots, how to promote entre- days, from both the abolitionist Reform Party of Canada and a discussions." preneurship and broadening their representation were the Liberal backbencher in Ottawa. John Nunziata, an Ontario The UWC president was buoyed also by themes that dotted a weekend of identity soul-searching for 80 member of Parliament, recently told The Weekly that he plans the news that the organization had wiped full delegates attending the June 30 to July 2 biennial confer­ to introduce a private members' bill to effectively discontinue out its six-figure deficit as a result of a con­ ence of the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business certed fund-raising drive and a period of Federation (UCPBF) in Montreal. Canada's 24-year-old multiculturalism policy. That does not take into account the federal Liberal government's own plans to rigorous restraint. As thousands of pro-federalist Montrealers took to the street "Now we can think about reactivating to reaffirm their loyalty to a united Canada - this over the holi­ review a program its party had introduced in 1971. some of the other committees and commis­ day weekend festivities marking Canada Day (July 1) — a Not surprisingly, some UCPBF members are concerned. sions that have lain dormant," said Dr. much smaller group of Ukrainian Canadian professional and Although he admits the multiculturalism policy needs some Cipywnyk. As an example, he mentioned business people huddled in a downtown hotel to talk about the updating, Dr. Dmytro Cipywnyk, president of both the the Human Rights Commission, which has future of their own community. Ukrainian World Congress and the Canadian Ethnocultural been inactive since early 1994 because its' Using English as their common language, the delegates, who Council, worried that critics of Canadian multiculturalism chairman, Prof. Yuriy Darewych, was spent $290 apiece to participate in the three-day conference, ascribe a narrow definition to it. "They consider it to be the cos­ taken ill and because of financial cutbacks. talked about the effectiveness of multiculturalism and the tumes we wear or the songs we sing," explained the former "But ( agree entirely with [long-standing absence of women in positions of power. Ukrainian Canadian Congress president. HRC activist] Christina Isajiw's discussion They turned to the example of other Canadian ethnic com­ "But they don't appreciate that multiculturalism means a lot paper," Dr. Cipywnyk said. "We have a munities and strategized over how to encourage the activity of of things. The bottom line is that it should enable access for role to play internationally as a non-govern­ young professionals within their own community. They lis­ everyone. But that's not true. Minorities account for 44 percent mental organization." He said the UWC's tened as guest panelists - assembled in daytime television talk of the Canadian population, but they are nowhere near being role should be to prod the Ukrainian gov­ show format, sitting in an oval on smart-looking, antique chairs represented in the civil service or in corporations," he noted. ernment in:o taking on some of the respon­ - shared their personal experiences and insights on various top­ However, Canada's ethnic communities may be helping sibilities that fall naturally within its juris­ ics. some of the country's more astute businesses turn a profit. diction, such as taking up the case of Calling their Montreal meeting "The New Challenge," the Referring to a recent study by the Conference Board of Ukrainian minorities in other countries. UCPBF conference set several for itself over the next two Canada, Secretary of State for Multiculturalism Sheila The president said both Ukrainian years. Finestone said that companies which altered their employment Catholic Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk Unlike the 1993 version in Winnipeg, which looked at busi­ and marketing practices to be more multiculturally friendly had and Ukrainian Orthodox Bishop Paisiy ness and trade opportunities with Ukraine and involved senior experienced a 38 percent increase in their market share. For Iwashchuk, who reported to the plenum, politicians and bureaucrats, the 1995 meeting was less star- example, "Petro Canada in Vancouver increased its business by had returned from recent trips to Ukraine struck and more hands-on, designed to tackle the inward-look­ greatly saddened by disarray and intoler­ ing exercise the federation sought to undertake. (Continued on page 8) ance in the religious community, and THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 16, 1995 No.