14 October 2009, 15:59
Mykola Tomenko: It is necessary to develop Ukrainian Policy proceeding from the Fact that to the Ukrainian Nation belong not only Ukrainians living in Ukraine but also those living beyond the Borders of the Country
Opening the Parliamentary hearings "Ukrainians Abroad: Current Status and Prospects of Cooperation", Mykola Tomenko, the Vice-Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called "to debate like Ukrainians are supposed to do but not like representatives of the political parties."
Mykola Tomenko noticed that the state policy should act proceeding from the fact that to the Ukrainian nation belong not only Ukrainians living in Ukraine but also those living beyond the borders of the country. He emphasized that "due to different statistics approximately 20 million Ukrainians worry about our state beyond its borders. Consequently the state policy should proceed form the interests and thoughts of these people. "
He called the hearings participants to dwell on the legal problems and state projects. "One should do everything possible in order to perceive Ukrainian nation in quantitative and qualitative format as nation that live in mutual understanding, that is in unity", - M. Tomenko proclaimed.
The Vice-Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine suggested immediate elaboration of the Law "On Legal Status of Ukrainian People Abroad" revision. He reminded that the Law was adopted on 4 March 2004 and it implemented the status of Ukrainian abroad. "The Law actually simplified the entry to the territory of Ukraine for the Ukrainian people living abroad, still it needs bigger scope of the public rights for the development of the connections with diaspora", - M. Tomenko declared.