Ruslana Lyzhychko speaks in Washington, DC
By Violetta Tutunik, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation
Washington, DC, March 30, 2007 - Member of Parliament of Ukraine, Ruslana Lyzhychko, gave a presentation on “Leading Ukraine into a New Era of Global and European Citizenship” at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
The event was co-sponsored by the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, the Kennan Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund.
Nadia McConnell, President, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation; Renata Kosc-Harmatiy, Program Associate, Kennan Institute; and Ruslana Lyzhychko, Deputy, Parliament of Ukraine, at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on March 30, 2007
A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and winner of Eurovision 2004, Deputy Lyzhychko (Our Ukraine faction) emphasized the need to integrate Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community through membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the European Union (EU). She discussed issues such as human trafficking problems in Ukraine, her involvement with UNICEF, her campaign against drugs, her promotion of Ukrainian language and culture, her new “Wild Energy” initiative, and the current political situation in Ukraine.
After introductory welcoming remarks by Renata Kosc-Harmatiy, Program Associate at the Kennan Institute, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, Oleh Shamshur, Ms. Lyzhychko shared her vision of the future of Ukraine and described her efforts to promote a positive image of Ukraine in the international community as well as within Ukraine.
It is essential for Ukraine to develop its own ideology as an independent state, said Deputy Lyzhychko. In order to accomplish this, it is important to promote the richness of Ukrainian culture in Ukraine as well as abroad. Ms. Lyzhychko has made many efforts in pursuit of this by taking advantage of opportunities during her travels as a singer and winner of Eurovision, and has used her popularity to promote a political message about Ukraine as well as the humanitarian efforts in which she is involved. Through efforts such as integrating Ukrainian culture into her music and organizing yearly expeditions to the Carpathian Mountains, Deputy Lyzhychko explained that she hopes to keep Ukrainian culture flourishing.
Deputy Lyzhychko reiterated her support for President Yushchenko, Ukraine’s pro-Euro-Atlantic stance, and expressed her commitment to preserving and promoting Ukraine’s ethnic heritage as a prerequisite to Ukraine finding its own ideology, stability, and recognition by the international community. In addition, Deputy Lyzhychko emphasized the need to mobilize the youth as the future generation of progressive, pro-Western leaders who will be the key to a truly democratic Ukraine.
During the question and answer session, Ms. Lyzhychko was asked about her involvement in Ukraine’s anti-human trafficking campaign, activity with the Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund, as well as her work with UNICEF.
One of the questions posed was by Nadia McConnell, President of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, who asked Deputy Lyzhychko to explain how she envisions a shift in the Ukrainian government from the current struggle for power to a situation where the government will be more focused on resolving the numerous issues that were identified by Deputy Lyzhychko.
In response, Deputy Lyzhychko acknowledged that strong forces of instability exist in Ukraine. Nevertheless, she reassured the audience that President Yushchenko has played and is continuing to play a vital role in the efforts to stabilize the situation at hand. Deputy Lyzhychko believes that President Yushchenko will find a way to compromise with the de-stabilizing forces and work on ways to resolve problematic issues such as conflicts over NATO, energy, and language. However, Deputy Lyzhychko said that she does not believe those issues are of primary concern and maintaining unity in Ukraine is most urgent. She urged all politicians of Ukraine to unite and find common ground to resolve the current impediments to stability.
When asked about her view of Ukrainians’ position on NATO and the European Union, Ms. Lyzhychko said that there is an overwhelming need to inform the Ukrainian people about the actual responsibilities of NATO and the European Union and the benefits associated with Euro-Atlantic integration.
To facilitate this task, Deputy Lyzhychko has established a committee on European Integration and currently chairs a sub-committee on information, which deals with informational outreach. However, funds are limited and she doubts the proper allocation of these funds to their intended purposes. She proposed that a professional approach to information outreach is necessary in order to ensure that quality information about the EU and NATO reaches the people of Ukraine. In regard to Russia, Deputy Lyzhychko stated that she has a positive view of Russia and that problematic issues between the two countries should be worked out diplomatically and not via provocative statements of any kind.
The entire webcast of Deputy Lyzhychko’s “Leading Ukraine into a New Era of Global and European Citizenship” is now available to view online
Deputy Lyzhychko’s presentation at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was part of a four-day visit to the United States, which included meetings with the U.S. Department of State, the Coalition for a Secure and Democratic Ukraine, the International Organization for Migration, and a performance at the Slavic Festival in Washington, DC.
