John Kerry: “as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I wish today to mention the outstanding work of an ambassador who…”

“as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I wish today to mention the outstanding work of an ambassador who is leaving Washington after 4 years of distinguished achievement--Ambassador Oleh Shamshur of Ukraine. There is little doubt that he has made a major contribution to strengthening bilateral relations between our countries. Ambassador Shamshur was one of the senior negotiators of the United States-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership signed on December 19, 2008, which elevated relations between the United States and Ukraine to a new level. The charter is a living document and continues to guide cooperation between the two countries. On April 12, 2010, President Obama and President Yanukovych reaffirmed their commitment to the charter and expressed their intention to realize its full potential. Ambassador Shamshur also played an important role in the establishment of the United States-Ukrainian Strategic Partnership Commission and participated in its first inaugural session in December 2009. The commission has reinvigorated relations between the United States and Ukraine with an ongoing dialog and program of cooperation on issues of democracy, economic freedom and prosperity, security and territorial integrity, energy security, defense-related cooperation, the rule of law, and people-to-people contacts.”