Ukraine's new Consul General in Houston, Vitalii Moshkivskyi, met with Ukrainian community representatives and civic leaders during a visit to Dallas. The events focused on strengthening the Friendship Agreement between Dallas and Kharkiv, improving collaboration among Ukrainian organizations across Texas, and expanding business and civic ties between Ukraine and North Texas.
On Sunday, July 19, the U.S.–Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce hosted a meeting between Moshkivskyi and representatives of the Dallas–Fort Worth Ukrainian community. The gathering brought together members of Ukrainian organizations, churches, and civic groups for a discussion of issues affecting Ukrainians in the region.
One of the principal subjects was the Friendship Agreement between Dallas and Kharkiv. Participants discussed how Ukrainian organizations could help develop the relationship beyond its formal framework by building connections in business, education, culture, and community life.
The agreement was signed on February 6, 2024, as Kharkiv continued to face Russian attacks. Moshkivskyi encouraged community organizations to remain engaged in its development and to identify practical opportunities for cooperation between the two cities.
A second central topic was collaboration among Ukrainian organizations across Texas. The discussion addressed ways organizations in different cities could communicate more consistently, share information, coordinate initiatives, and support projects with broader statewide participation.
Moshkivskyi spoke about the role Ukrainians abroad can play in maintaining Ukrainian culture and increasing the country’s presence in American communities. He cited initiatives ranging from Ukrainian restaurants and student organizations to university language programs and Ukrainian-language audio guides in museums.
Some community members raised questions about mobile consular services. Others expressed concerns about Uniting for Ukraine and Temporary Protected Status amid ongoing uncertainty about immigration status and future options.
The following day, Moshkivskyi joined Dallas officials, consular representatives, business leaders, and members of the Ukrainian community for the grand opening of the U.S.–Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce’s new office in Dallas International District.
The office provides the Chamber with a permanent location for business networking, community programs, and cooperation with organizations across North Texas. Representatives of the City of Dallas, the Consulates General of Ukraine and Canada, regional and international chambers of commerce, and international affairs organizations attended the opening.
Tamara Velsher, founder and president of the U.S.–Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, said the office is intended to serve as a place where businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders can form partnerships and expand cooperation between Ukraine and the United States.
Its initial priorities include expanding the Chamber’s business network, supporting Ukrainian entrepreneurs, developing educational and professional programs, and promoting trade and investment.
Speaking at the opening, Moshkivskyi reflected on the rapid growth of the Ukrainian community in the region since 2022. He said more than 50,000 Ukrainians had arrived during that period, many seeking refuge, and described their integration into local communities as remarkably successful.
“To see how this community quickly integrated and started contributing to local communities is fascinating,” he said. “In just several years, Ukrainians have not only adapted, learned the language here, and started jobs—we are now contributing and expanding our presence in Dallas.”
He pointed to several developments in the growing relationship between Dallas and Ukraine, including the introduction of a Ukrainian-language audio guide at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum and the visit of Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, to a Ukrainian cultural exhibition at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library.
Moshkivskyi also said Ukraine’s wartime technological development could create opportunities for cooperation with American businesses.
“Ukraine is not only brave on the battlefield,” he said. “You know that we were able to produce during these years of war with Russia some sophisticated weapons like drones and others. So I’m quite sure that Ukrainian entrepreneurs and innovative people from Ukraine could also share new technologies with the United States.”
Speaking on behalf of Mayor Eric Johnson and the City of Dallas, Beth Huddleston traced the city’s relationship with Ukraine from the Dallas City Council’s unanimous resolution condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion to the Friendship Agreement with Kharkiv and the subsequent visit of Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
“In real time, as he was speaking to groups, he was getting reports of what was happening in Kharkiv right on the border,” Huddleston said of Terekhov’s visit.
She described the opening of the Chamber office as another step in the relationship between Dallas and Ukraine.
“The opening of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce represents another milestone in this journey,” Huddleston said. “It will create new opportunities for trade, investment, and cultural exchange while further strengthening the connections between Ukraine and North Texas.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony formally opened the Chamber’s Dallas office.
Velsher concluded the event by presenting the City of Dallas with a bottle of wine from Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city largely destroyed during Russia’s invasion. She said Ukrainian soldiers had rescued several bottles from a winery as the city came under attack.
Velsher expressed hope that the bottle would one day be opened to mark the end of the war and Ukraine’s victory.
Author of the material and photo: Tatyana Bessmertnaya
