Around 100 foreign delegations are expected to attend the inauguration of Ukrainian president-elect Victor Yanukovych on Feb. 25, said one of the event organizers, Party of Regions deputy leader Serhiy Liovochkin.
"To date, we have received confirmations of attendance by presidents from Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia. The European Union will be represented by Baroness Ashton [EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton] who confirmed to us her attendance yesterday [on February 20]. The U.S. will send a delegation led by General Jones, U.S. President’s National Security Advisor [James Jones]," Liovochkin told journalists on Sunday.
The delegations invited to Yanukovych’s inauguration are primarily from the neighboring countries, the EU, CIS, G20 and Ukraine’s biggest trade partners, he said.
The ceremony will be "as low-key as possible," given Ukraine’s difficult financial and economic situation, Liovochkin said.
"No parades, no fireworks are being planned, everything will be held low key… We want to keep it as solemn as possible so that the Ukrainian people can be proud of how this day goes," Liovochkin said.
The inauguration organizers will try to "stay within" the leanest budget, he said. "The minimum possible," he said.
