Discussion with Ukrainian National Security and Defense Secretary Bogatyreva

BIOGRAPHY

Secretary Raisa Bogatyreva
Secretary of National Security and Defense, Ukraine
Raisa V. Bogatyreva was born January 6, 1953, in Bakal Chelyabinsk oblast of the Russian Federation.  In 1977, she graduated from Kharkov Medical Institute with a specialty in Medicine. In 1996, she graduated from Kyiv National University with a law degree. From 1977 to 1979, she was a doctor-intern in the hospital N2, Gorlovka, and practiced for more than 10 years as a obstetrician-gynecologist, becoming chairman of the trade union committee, and the deputy chief doctor Kramatorskom of the city hospital.  In 1994 she was appointed First Deputy Minister of Health, and in 2000 Secretary Bogatyreva became the scientific adviser of President of Ukraine.  Since 2000, she has been the People's Deputy of Ukraine. From 2002 to 2006 she was head of the Party of Regions parliamentary faction in the Verkhovna Rada.  Since 2006, Bogatyreva has been the Chairman of the parliamentary faction of Party of Regions, coordinator of anti-coalition, and the Coalition of National Unity parliamentary faction in the Verkhovna Rada.  Additionally, from 1997 to 2003 Bogatyreva was Secretary of the Supervisory Board of the National Fund for Social Protection of Mothers and Children; and from 2006 to July 2007 she was the Honorary President of Tender Chamber of Ukraine.  Bogatyreva is a State Prizewinner of Ukraine in Science and Technology.

Ambassador Oleh Shamshur
Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Embassy of Ukraine
Oleh Shamshur became ambassador of Ukraine to the United States in 2006. Ambassador Shamshur previously served as deputy minister of foreign affairs (2000-2004), head of the European Union Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-2004), and minister-counselor at the Ukrainian Embassy to the Benelux countries (1998-2003). In addition, he was deputy chairman of the State Committee for Nationalities and Migration of Ukraine, as well as a member of the President’s Commission on Citizenship (1996-98), and secretary and counselor at the Ukrainian Mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva (1993-96). Ambassador Shamshur was also a visiting scholar at the University College in London (1993), and he held various posts at the Institute of Social and Economic Problems of Foreign Countries at the Academy of Sciences in Ukraine, including director of programs (1981-93). Ambassador Shamshur graduated cum laude from the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv University’s Department of International Relations and International Law, and he holds a doctorate from Kyiv University. He also completed a post-graduate course at the Academy of Sciences in Ukraine. Ambassador Shamshur speaks English, French and Russian and is married with one daughter.