Federal Executive Council; ADFA Graduation; Ceremonial Welcome and State Dinner for the President of Ukraine

On Thursday 11 December 2014, at Government House, Canberra, the Governor-General, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), presided at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

Earlier, at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), Canberra, the Governor-General, as Commander-in-Chief, and Lady Cosgrove, attended the Australian Defence Force Academy Graduation Parade, at which the Governor-General presented the Commander-in-Chief’s medal.

Afterwards, at Government House, Canberra, the Governor-General, received the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey, His Excellency Mr Reha Keskintepe; Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, General Necdet Özel; and Head of Military Strategic Commitments, Major General John Frewen AM.

Later, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove received the Ambassador to Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic and Lithuania, Ms Jean Dunn.

Then, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove hosted a Ceremonial Welcome for the President of Ukraine, His Excellency Mr Petro Poroshenko, and Her Excellency Mrs Maryna Poroshenko.

Afterwards, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove met with the President of Ukraine and Mrs Poroshenko; and received the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Pavlo Klimkin; Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine (Foreign Policy Advisor to the President), Mr Valerii Chalyi; and the First Assistant to the President of Ukraine, Mr Yuriy Onishchenko.

In the evening, the Governor-General and Lady Cosgrove hosted a State Dinner in honour of the President of Ukraine and Mrs Poroshenko. Guests included: Mr Pavlo Klimkin; Mr Valerii Chalyi; Mr Yuriy Onishchenko; Mr Yaroslav Melnyk; Mr Sviatoslav Tsegolko; Mr Yuriy Fedorov; Ms Oksana Shuliar; Mr Mykola Dzhydzhora and Mrs Nataliia Dzhydzhora; His Excellency Mr Zainal Abidin Ahmad; the Honourable Bronwyn Bishop MP; Mr Andrew Bilinsky and Dr Sonia Mycak; Senator the Honourable George Brandis QC; the Very Reverend Father Simon Ckuj; Commissioner Andrew Colvin APM OAM and Mrs Natalie Colvin; the Honourable Michael Danby MP; Ms Jean Dunn; Vice Admiral Ray Griggs AO CSC RAN; Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC AFC (Retd) and Mrs Liz Houston; Senator the Honourable David Johnston and Ms Toni Hodge; Mr Richard Maude; Senator Bridget McKenzie; Ms Mary Porter AM MLA and Mr Ian De Landelles; Mr Stefan Romaniw OAM and Mrs Anastasia Romaniw; Her Excellency Mrs Annemieke Ruigrok and Mr Edward Peet; Mr Peter Shmigel; the Very Reverend Father Michael Solomko and Mrs Katherine Solomko; Mr Michael Thawley AO and Mrs Deborah Thawley; Mr Doug Trappett; Mr Peter Varghese AO; His Excellency Mr Pedro Raul Villagra Delgado; and Mr Kyle Wilson and Ms Judy Loy.