Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has arrived on a state visit to Australia, presidential press secretary Sviatoslav Tseholko has reported on his Twitter page.
“The president pays a state visit to Australia for the first time in Ukraine’s history,” Tseholko said.
He also added that despite the late arrival of the president in Melbourne, the Ukrainian community in Australia had met Poroshenko.
A statement posted on the president’s Twitter page says: “I am grateful to our diaspora in Melbourne for their warm welcome.”
According to the presidential press service, the state visit to Australia will last until Dec. 12.
In the course of the meeting with the Ukrainian diaspora, Poroshenko highly evaluated its activities meant for backing Ukraine and expressed his gratitude to Australia and personally to Prime Minister Tony Abbott for support, the president’s press service said.
The head of state is to visit Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, where a number of the meetings are planned.
In particular, the president will hold talks with Governor-General of Australia Peter John Cosgrove and Prime Minister Tony Abbott, meet with the Ukrainian diaspora and will participate in public prayers, as well as meet with the members of the Australian working panel that probes into the July 17 Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crash in southeastern Ukraine.
The program of the Ukrainian leaders’ visit also foresees meeting with Australian business circles to cover prospects of investing into the Ukrainian economy, the press service said.
Poroshenko is to deliver a lecture at Lowy Institute for International Policy, highly prestige politological center of Australia.
