On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries the State Language Protection Commissioner Taras Kremin held an online meeting with the leadership of the Ukrainian Central Representation in the Argentine Republic – activists of the Ukrainian community in Argentina.
The meeting was attended by Maria Zinko, Deputy Head of the UCR, Oleh Yakhno, Executive Director of the Argentine-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Katalyna Pokhylyak, Head of the Translation Department of the University of Buenos Aires, Yurii Ivanyk, Chairman of the UCR Main Council. Deputy Director of the State Archival Service of Ukraine, Prof. Larysa Levchenko, Representative of the Commissioner Andrii Vitrenko and Chief Specialist of the Secretariat Yulia Surganova joined the event as well.
The participants discussed the importance of providing better access for Argentine youth of Ukrainian origin, which unites in around 30 different cultural associations and organizations, to distance learning courses in the Ukrainian language, joint scientific projects between the leading universities of our countries, summer language camps etc.
According to Oleh Yakhno, strengthening of the Ukrainian community is impossible without acquiring by it the Ukrainian language, culture, traditions that has always been a factor of establishing self-identity and counteracting assimilation in the Spanish-speaking world. The experience of holding Ukrainian studies courses at parishes and public organizations, scientific research, publishing, cooperation with church, civic, research and educational centers of Argentina is only the part of that work which should be strengthened under current conditions. Trade and economic relations are extremely important as well as investment activities that should involve much more young people from our countries.
“Unfortunately, the older generation is passing away, and young people have no simple access to effective language courses. Under pandemic conditions we’ve seen how attention to distance education increased. Therefore, the demand for studying the Ukrainian language abroad is among the priorities of the Argentine community which counts on Ukrainian universities’support”, –the UCR Deputy added.
Professor Katalyna Pokhylyak assured that the department chaired by her gives every assistance to young Argentinians of Ukrainian origin, so she is ready to keep on creating better conditions for the development of international relations with Ukrainian universities.
Taras Kremin thanked the representatives of the Ukrainian Central Representation in the Argentine Republic for their active position in preserving the native language and stressed the importance of supporting the UCR initiatives in Argentina, in particular, for meeting the language needs of Ukrainian youth, joint research projects, development of distance Ukrainian studies courses,archival materials searching on history of emigration, further cooperation.
He also reminded that he had been a member of the group on inter-parliamentary relations between Ukraine and the Argentine Republic (2015-2019) in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 8th convocation.
“I remember very well the historic visit within a group headed by MP Viktor Romanyuk to Buenos Aires on April 26-28, 2018. At that time Ukraine was the first country in the world with which a cooperation agreement was concluded shortly after the parliamentary elections. Moreover,due to the efforts of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Argentina Yurii Dyudin important meetings with members of the Government and the Ukrainian community of Argentina were held as well as participation in the opening of the Ukrainian stand at the largest in the Spanish-speaking world book exhibition «Del Libra» was organized”, – the Commissioner told.