UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA
OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
PRESS RELEASE

President of Ukraine Visits Washington, DC

On September 29, 2008, His Excellency the President of Ukraine, Victor Yushchenko concluded his working visit to the United States of America. During his visit to the nation’s capitol, the President of Ukraine met with President George W. Bush.   Also within the framework of his working visit to the USA President Yushchenko met with representatives of the US-Ukraine Business Council. At the meeting President said that American investments are very important for Ukraine, and invited the investors to deeper cooperation. According to him there are many projects that might be of interest for American investors, particularly in the field of high-tech, agriculture, energy, and preparations to Ukraine’s hosting of the EURO 2012 soccer championships, among others.

President Yushchenko also met with the representatives of the Metro-Washington, D. C. Ukrainian community, while laying flowers at the monument of Taras Shevchenko in the center of the city. Our Ukrainian Orthodox Church was well represented at the meeting with the President by the numerous members of St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Silver Spring, MD, led by His Grace Bishop Daniel.

The Bishop, accompanied by Protopresbyter Hryhorij Podhurec, V. Rev. Fr. Volodymyr Steliac, Pastor of St. Andrew Cathedral and Protodeacon Sviatoslav Novytsky greeted President Yushchenko and his wife Kateryna at the monument in behalf of the hierarchs, clergy and the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. His Grace Bishop Daniel was able to speak with the first lady of Ukraine Kateryna Yushchenko, who heads many charitable funds and organizations in Ukraine, to discuss our Church’s charitable work in our Ukrainian Orphanage Program.

The children of the St. Andrew Cathedral, Oles Steliac and Olenka Woloshyna presented both the President and the first lady with the bouquets of flowers. Volodymyr Semerej and Taras Iakiw, parishioners of the cathedral parish family carried the presidential basket of flowers to the monument, while the cathedral choir sang the national prayer for Ukraine,  “Bozhe Velykyj”.

At the conclusion of his visit to the monument of Taras Shevchenko, President Yushchenko exchanged brief comments with Bishop Daniel and the clergy who accompanied him and the Ukrainian-Americans in attendance.