14 October 2009, 20:30
In the hearings took part the People´s Deputies of Ukraine, Representatives of the Ministry on Foreign Affairs, Ministry on Culture and Tourism, Ministry on Science and Education, Economy, Secretariat of the President of Ukraine, Council on National Security and Defense State Committee on National Emigration, State Committee on Radio and Television, World Ukrainian Coordination Council, "Ukraina-Svit" Community and also public organizations that represent and protect the interests of Ukrainians living abroad.
During the hearings the situation of Ukrainians living abroad, mechanisms of the problems in the sphere solution, granting of their status and rights, ways of involvement into the public life of Ukraine and effective implementation of their intellectual, spiritual and cultural potential in the interests of Ukraine were discussed.
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.M. Tomenko proclaimed 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.
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.
Oleksandr Kupchyshyn, the Vice-Minister on Foreign Affairs of Ukraine had emphasized that the main document determining, basing on complex approach, the precise directions and measures regarding the national-cultural, educational and linguistic, informational and other needs of Ukrainian people was the State Program on Cooperation with the Ukrainians living abroad for the period till the year 2010, adopted in July 2006.
Oleg Zarubinskiy, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations expressed thankfulness to all the Ukrainians living abroad that had found time and finance opportunities to participate in the hearings. O. Zarubinskiy stressed that one of the most essential foreign policy tasks that was adopted by the Parliament on 2 July 1993 was the defined the formation of the conditions in order to make contacts with the Ukrainians living abroad and expatriate Ukrainians, render assistance to them according to the international law.
According to O. Zarubinskiy not less important constituent is the securing of Ukrainians living abroad rights by the countries of their residence.
Evhen Choliy the President of World Congress of Ukrainians called the Verkhovna Rada to recognize the OUN-UIA the participants of national-liberation movement for the Ukrainians Independence that would lead to the privileges allotment.
According to the representatives of the foreign public organizations, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is supposed to improve the legislation system concerning the foreign Ukrainians in the part of the privileges broadening and preferences for the persons with the "foreign Ukrainian" status etc.
The representatives of Ministers and Administrations deem it necessary that the Standing Delegations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine strengthen the cooperation with the international parliamentary organizations in order to attract the world society attention to the problems of the foreign Ukrainians rights compliance.
The People´s Deputies also recommended that the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine continues the supervision for the rights compliance of Ukrainian citizens residing abroad, in particular it concerns the labour migrants.
According to the Hearings participants the Cabinet of Ministers should have precipitated the scrutiny of the Bill on Amendments to the Law "On Legal Status of Ukrainians living Abroad".
Moreover it was recommended that the Government presupposes in the State Budget for the year 2010 the finance expenses in the cooperation with foreign Ukrainians.
The Members of the Committee also deem it necessary to strengthen the activity coordination of central and local executive power bodies of Ukraine in the sphere of the relations development with the Ukrainians living abroad.