Volodymyr
Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Barbara Prammer, President of the National
Council of Austria, visited the National V. I. Vernadskyi
Library of Ukraine.
V. Lytvyn and B. Prammer visited the Austrian Library founded under the National V. I. Vernadskyi Library of Ukraine in 1992 which has a universal book collection in German. Since its foundation, the Austrian Library has been a cultural center in Kyiv, a venue of conferences, seminars, exhibitions, and round table discussions with the participation of leading domestic and foreign scholars. Students majoring in Germanic studies do an internship at this library.
The heads of Ukrainian and Austrian parliaments attended the grand opening of the book exhibition "Ukraine-Austria: Cultural Relations." "This exhibition proves that it is culture that unites the nations, and at the same time lets them preserve their unique image," V. Lytvyn stressed, addressing the participants of the ceremony. He believes that cultural diversity supports global development.
The Chairman of
the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
thanked
the library staff for organizing the exhibition, and suggested "holding such
exhibitions in all twenty-seven states of the European Union, inviting
Ukrainian politicians and representatives of the European Union to them." "Then
discussion about foreign political priorities of Ukraine will lose its
topicality, as Ukraine will demonstrate
its essence as a European country," V. Lytvyn stressed. He admitted that
Ukraine is a country of underdeveloped democracy, although analysis of its
traditions and cultural heritage proves that the state had developed in line
with the European trends.
V. Lytvyn informed that at the yesterday´s meeting with B. Prammer, they discussed experts´ forecasts that a printed book will become outdated soon. "We definitely disagreed with such a claim. And today we became convinced that a book as a cluster of mind and soul will support development of any country and nation," he stated.
The Head of the
Ukrainian Parliament highly appreciated the fact that the official visit of the
President of the
National Council of Austria to Ukraine
included the call at the National V. I. Vernadskyi
Library of Ukraine. He said, "Such
moments help better understand each other, our common history and
responsibility for the global development."
B. Prammer presented V. Lytvyn with the archival documents from the Austrian parliamentary library concerning activity of Ukrainian deputies at the parliament of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the beginning of the last century. Director of the National V. I. Vernadskyi Library Oleksii Onyshchenko presented the heads of Ukrainian and Austrian parliaments with two copies of a scientific edition of the Peresopnytsia Gospel whose 450th anniversary is celebrated this year.