The AFUO and Association of Ukrainians in Victoria (AUV) assisted a visiting delegation of Ukrainian MPs to meet Victorian MPs, government and business leaders last week to deepen ties between the two countries, seek an increase in military, energy and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and to call for Australia’s participation in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.
The delegation were members of the Ukraine-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group, the sister group to its Australian equivalent launched a few weeks ago at Parliament House by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong, and chaired by Senators Catryna Bilyk and David Van.
The Victorian program for the delegation, held over 23-24 March 2023 and coordinated with the Embassy of Ukraine, included a morning tea at the Victorian Parliament House with Deputy Premier Jacinta Allen, Leader of the Opposition & Liberal Party, Hon John Pesutto, and many members of the Victorian Parliament. The delegation held separate meetings with Hon John Pesutto, Matthew Guy MP, Chris Crewther MP and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly the Hon Maree Edwards MP.
The Premier, Dan Andrews, also briefly met with the delegation and presented them with a Ukrainian flag which had been flying over Parliament House since the start of the invasion.
Meetings were held with Jason Yeap, property developer and lawyer, James Ensor, CEO of the BHP Foundation, Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp, Danielle Press ASIC Commissioner and Louise Macauley ASIC CEO, Cressida Wall CEO Projects Victoria, Acting Deputy Commissioner Derek Lamb at the Victorian State Police Operations Centre, and CEO VECCI Paul Guerra and his team at the Chamber of Commerce.
David Vicino and the team at SYPAQ invited the delegation to a presentation of donated Melbourne-made drones and SYPAQ Fleetseats, a world leading two-person carry aid which can rescue and transport injured frontline soldiers or civilians. The donation was received by Teresa Lachowicz on behalf of the AFUO International Coordination of Medical Aid to Ukraine sub-committee.
On 24 March 2023, the delegation met with the local Australian-Ukrainian community at the Ukrainian Hall in Essendon, where they were greeted with bread and salt.
The Ukrainian delegation members included:
- Ms. Galyna Mykhailiuk, Servant of the People Party, Chair of the Ukrainian-Australian Parliamentary Friendship Group and Deputy Head of the Committee on Law Enforcement.
- Mr. Iaroslav Zhelezniak, Voice Party, Co-Chair of the Ukrainian-Australian Parliamentary Friendship Group and Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy.
- Ms. Olga Koval, Servant of the People Party, Committee on Education, Science and Innovation
- Mr. Oleh Seminskyi, Servant of the People Party, Committee on Energy and Housing and Communal Services
