Fewer Ukrainian Women Marry Foreigners

The Ministry of Justice says there is a discernible downward trend in Ukraine in the number of marriages with foreigner nationals, reports Interfax-Ukraine. According to Valentyna Kunda, head of the Justice Ministry’s Department for the Civil Status of Citizens, the number of Ukrainians who marry foreigners is declining every year. Whereas 864 Ukrainians married foreign nationals in 2000, in the years 2001, 2002, and 2003 these figures were 813, 841, and 779, respectively. During the first nine months of 2004, 722 Ukrainians married foreigners. The number of Ukrainians who marry individuals without citizenship has declined by almost 80%. Whereas in 2000 the Central Registrar’s Office in Kyiv registered 94 such marriages, only 11 such marriages have been registered since the beginning of 2004. According to Ms. Kunda, mostly women marry foreign nationals. However, foreign fiancОs, especially those from overseas, are becoming less attractive to Ukrainian brides, and the number of such marriages has declined significantly. The number of marriages contracted with CIS citizens has remained largely unchanged, with Ukrainians mostly marrying Russians. Among the marriages with foreigners from overseas, most are with the citizens of the US, Germany, Italy, and Iran.