Ukrainian Premier Discusses Jewish Concerns On Anti-Semitism, Property Restitution

American Jewish Committee
Wednesday, 3 February 1999

Ukrainian Prime Minister Valery Pustovoitenko today told American Jewish Committee leaders that he would look into anti-Semitism in Ukraine's media and obstacles to restitution of communal property.

Pustovoitenko, who was visiting Washington to meet with senior U.S. government officials, met for an hour with AJC leaders and representatives of several other American Jewish organizations.

Responding to questions about the Ukrainian media, the premier said that Ukraine cannot be blamed for anti-Semitic articles that reflect what has been transpiring in Russia, where at least two Communist lawmakers have made repeated anti-Semitic remarks in recent months.

The premier said he would look into the recent interruption of cooperation between Ukrainian authorities and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on a project involving the opening of Ukrainian archives to document Ukraine's Holocaust-era history.

Also discussed were Ukraine's relations with Israel and U.S.-Ukraine ties.

The meeting, chaired by Ambassador Alfred Moses, Honorary AJC President, took place at the Washington office of the American Jewish Committee. The AJC holds regular meetings with foreign leaders in the United States as well as in their home countries.

Other organizations participating in the AJC-sponsored meeting included the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, B'nai B'rith and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org