Modify Windows unicode shortcuts using Python

Question

Following this question, I've settled on the following Python code to modify Windows shortcuts.
It works for English based shortcuts but it doesn't for unicode based shortcuts.

How could this (or any other) snippet be modified to support unicode?

import re, os, pythoncom
from win32com.shell import shell, shellcon

shortcut_path = os.path.join(path_to_shortcut, shortcut_filename)
shortcut = pythoncom.CoCreateInstance (shell.CLSID_ShellLink, None, pythoncom.CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, shell.IID_IShellLink)
persist_file = shortcut.QueryInterface (pythoncom.IID_IPersistFile)
persist_file.Load (shortcut_path)
destination1 = shortcut.GetPath(0)[0]
destination2 = os.path.join(destination_path, destination_filename)
shortcut.SetPath(destination2)
persist_file.Save(shortcut_path, 0)

Assume the following are unicode: path_to_shortcut, shortcut_filename, destination_path, destination_filename

Answer 1

Perhaps looking here may help: Python Unicode HOWTO

I'm guessing you'd need to be sure that each of those strings was properly encoded as Unicode and any changes need to preserve that encoding. That article should provide all the information you'll need.