The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) fully supports calls for Australia to be well-represented at the Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland on 15-16 June 2024.
“The Global Peace Summit comes at a crucial time for Ukraine in our existential fight against Russia, so it’s essential that Australia participates and is represented at the right level,” said Stefan Romaniw OAM, co-chair of the AFUO.
“We appreciate that the Prime Minister may have previous commitments, but we hope that Australia can send a suitably senior government representative such as Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles or Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Unlike other iterations of the Global Peace Summit initiative, this is the first to be held among national leaders, so it is important that Australia also sends a senior delegation should the Prime Minister be unavailable.
“Australia has generously supported Ukraine from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Our community has been incredibly grateful for that support and was delighted by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles’ visit to Ukraine last month. So it is key that Australia is there to continue the conversation around how this awful war can end and how a comprehensive, just and enduring peace can be secured for Ukraine,” said Mr Romaniw.
“The Global Peace Summit will allow Australia to meet fellow partners, align strategic assessments and better calibrate our contribution to the global support picture. The meeting in Switzerland has important symbolic value, which we hope will translate into greater substantive support in the short term.
“Now is the time to be bold, to double down, and to act quickly. Help Ukrainians hold the line. Defending democracy isn’t easy, fast or cheap, but it is the right thing to do,” Mr Romaniw concluded.
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