On September 7, 2012, a joint solemn opening ceremony was held in Athens of the 2012 Annual General Meeting of the Ukrainian World Congress and the V Forum of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Greece, in which organization and holding Ukraine’s Embassy took part.

The event took place near the monument toUkraine’s national genius, Taras Shevchenko, installed in Zografou municipality of the city of Athens. Participants included the leadership of the UWC, Ukraine’s diplomatic mission to Greece and Athens Municipality of Zografou, delegates to the above-referenced forums from many countries, representatives of the Ukrainian community in Greece and the Greek public at large,

After a joint prayer for Ukraine, the performance of Ukrainian and the Greek National Anthems, and laying of flowers at the monument to the Great Kobzar, the ceremony attendees were greeted by the UWC President, Mr. Eugene Czolij, the Mayor of Zografou, Mr. Konstantinos Kalliris, and the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Volodymyr Shkurov.

The Head of Ukraine’s diplomatic mission outlined the current state of affairs in Ukrainian-Greek cooperation and in collaboration with the Ukrainian community in Greece, and underlined the Embassy’s steadfast preparedness to provide assistance to his fellow countrymen, including creating the most favorable conditions to allow for their most active participation in the elections to the Ukrainian Parliament to be held on October 28, 2012. He went on to wish the participants of both forums constructive work aimed at further strengthening the links between Ukrainians abroad and the Ukrainian state, as well as more effective support of Ukraine’s aspiration for European integration and democratic transformation in the country.

The touching completion of the ceremony was the planting of a pussy-willow seedling near the monument to Taras Shevchenko.