WASHINGTON–Oskana Markarova, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States, welcomed representatives of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and four Ukrainian American credit unions to the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington to discuss possible avenues of collaboration moving forward.
According to WOCCU, Markarova kicked off the meeting by offering the Embassy's assistance in doing whatever it can to help WOCCU continue its efforts to strengthen credit unions in Ukraine, despite Russia's ongoing war there. She told WOCCU President and CEO Elissa McCarter LaBorde this could be a moment of opportunity for her country's credit union sector.
"I think now, with (Administrator) Samantha Power at USAID, she really wants to do something. We have seen remarkable flexibility and change in the energy here," said Markarova. "Everyone is trying to find out how we will sustain the small businesses, how we will sustain the farmers, how will we get people to return? Giving access to credit is a top three priority for them (Ukrainians)."
‘Vehicle to Make That Happen’
The World Council said McCarter LaBorde agreed that credit unions can be the vehicle to make that happen.
"If we can look at making that argument that one way to get credit most directly into the hands of some of those small businesses is through credit unions, then that tells our story," said McCarter LaBorde.
Markarova asked WOCCU to send more information to her about what the organization could do with more assistance moving forward.
Representatives from Selfreliance Federal Credit Union (Chicago), Ukrainian Federal Credit Union (Rochester, NY), Ukrainian Selfreliance Michigan Federal Credit Union (Detroit) and Ukrainian Selfreliance Federal Credit Union (Philadelphia) helped to facilitate the visit and joined McCarter LaBorde at the Embassy.
As CUToday.info was first to report, earlier Markarova also met with credit unions in a surprise appearance at a WOCCU event.