(ForUm) - During his one-day working visit to Romania Victor Yushchenko met with the Ukrainian community of Romania's Maramures County, president's press office reported.
In his speech, the President said it was important to better protect the rights of the Ukrainian minority in Romania.
Supporting Ukrainians living abroad is an integral part of Ukraine's politics, he said, calling on the Maramures officials to help the Ukrainians.
Yushchenko also said the Ukrainian government wanted to start educational programs for its expatriates in Romania, reports Trend.
I want Ukraine and Romania to start a student exchange program, he said, praising cooperation between Ukraine's Taras Shevchenko University and Bucharest University.
The President also said the two countries had recently agreed to liberalize visa requirements. He added that he had sent a letter to Romania's parliament with a request to declare the Soviet-era famine in Ukraine an act of genocide and urged those present to support his initiative.
Yushchenko said Ukraine had considerably developed its trade cooperation with the European Union in the past several years and expressed hopes our country would join the World Trade Organization this June.
Ukraine's Ambassador to Romania Yuriy Malko and Head of the Union of Ukrainians in Romania Ion Kovach.