Victor and Kateryna Yushchenko have met with members of the Congress of Ukrainians and the Association of Ukrainians of Estonia in Tallinn, according to the President`s press-office.
They informed the President and his wife about their activities, such as holding regular Ukrainian art exhibitions, literature soirees and master classes in traditional crafts.
In his speech, Mr. Yushchenko said he was greatly impressed by the patriotic atmosphere in the community and thanked its members for preserving the Ukrainian language and culture.
Speaking about how his government cooperated with Ukrainians living abroad, Mr. Yushchenko said he was determined to build closer ties with expatriates and that four hundred programs had been launched in this area so far.
He said it was important to unite all Ukrainian organizations all over the world to uphold national principles.
The President said Ukraine could help open extra-curriculum courses of the Ukrainian language at Estonian schools and requested Ukraine’s Ambassador to Estonia Pavlo Kiryakov to make a list of necessary things such as equipment, books, etc. for this project. He added they could also open a Ukrainian school and publish Ukrainian newspapers and magazines in Tallinn, and promised his support.
“The key position in this case is the position of the community,” he said.
Mr. Yushchenko said Ukraine was introducing economic and political reforms and said it was vital to take a number of “real steps” in order to create new Ukrainian politics.
The President gave the community Ukrainian books.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk attended the meeting.
Before the meeting, the President and the First Lady visited the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church sanctified by Cardinal Lubomyr Huzar in 2000. The Congress of the Ukrainian Diaspora of Estonia opened a museum, an art school, a Sunday school, a library, a concert hall and offices there.
There are 28,000 Ukrainians living in Estonia.
