Hillary Clinton visit KPI
During a one-day official visit to Ukraine
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited NTUU “KPI” on July 2, 2010, where she met with students and teachers. She was accompanied by President Obama’s Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, Ms. Melanie Werwer.
The guests were greeted by the rector of NTUU “KPI”, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine M. Z. Zgurovsky: “We gathered at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute on the eve of the 234th anniversary of the adoption of the American Declaration of Independence, in which the wisdom of Tom Jefferson laid the foundation for a democratic civilization of the future.
We are honored to receive the direct follower of Jefferson’s democracy
The 67th U.S. Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton.” Having made a brief digression into the history of KPI, he continued: “Today, the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute is trying to maintain high standards in the field of education, innovation and technology.
It is a great event for us to host you at our university and exchange opinions and ideas about the future of the world and our country.”
The first to speak was M. Verver, who is one of the leading political figures of Ukrainian origin working today in the US government. “Ukraine holds a special place in my heart.
My grandparents, both on the side of my father and my mother, were born in Ukraine. I grew up in America, but they told me about your wonderful country; every day I learned more about its values and traditions.
We have always hoped and prayed to the Lord for Ukraine to become a free
Democratic and prosperous country,” the Ambassador said.
The speech of the Secretary of State was met with loud applause. She thanked the students who came to the meeting, despite the late hours and holidays, and noted the polytechnics, “who achieve excellent results, win olympiads and competitions, help build the future that Ukraine deserves.”
Further, Mrs. Hillary Clinton reflected on the changes taking place in Ukraine:
“When I first visited Ukraine in 1995, it was a young independent state. Today it is a democratic country recognized by the world.
The USA and Ukraine are connected not only by a common history, Ukrainian-American and family ties, but also by common values. 234 years ago, our country declared its independence in a Declaration written by one of my predecessors, Thomas Jefferson. Someone might say: what do the lessons of 234 years ago and the challenges of the 21st century have in common?
I think that the whole history of mankind is continuously connected, and each new generation should expand the range of freedoms and opportunities. It is very important that in democratic countries, no matter how old their democracies are – 234 or 19, they never forget about basic values and freedoms: freedom of speech, press, petitioning the government, the right to participate in political life.
To meet the challenges, we must overcome the difficulties that await us and make difficult choices.
In particular, we need to strive for energy independence, for which Ukraine has the appropriate resources. Together we must solve many problems, including climate change, the spread of HIV / AIDS, food shortages and global conflicts. I want to encourage you to work even harder to strengthen democracy, build civil society, support the media, secure the positive future you deserve in Ukraine.”
The guest also shared her vision of Ukraine’s place in the world:
“Ukraine is important not only for Ukrainians – it is important for the world. There are many opportunities for Ukraine to take a significant and influential position in the region, Europe and the world. An open, renewed Ukraine has much to offer. When I look at the students who have gathered in this hall, I know that you are among the best in the world, I see the endless possibilities that open up before you. The world hopes that you will preserve your democracy, ensure economic growth, increase integration into Europe and create conditions that will allow every citizen of Ukraine to make the most of the opportunities available.
The United States wants to be Ukraine’s partner.
We are deepening our cooperation in various areas, including economic reforms, trade and investment facilitation, modernization of the Ukrainian energy sector, opportunities for cooperation in education, health, gender, defense, and the like. We are working together on issues where Ukraine is already a leader, in particular – the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. We are also looking for ways to use the experience and knowledge of Ukrainians in solving such global problems as the fight against hunger and improving the quality of foodDuring a one-day official visit to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited NTUU “KPI” on July 2, 2010, where she met with students and teachers.