First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the 2023 Conference of Ambassadors. Traditionally, the Conference is held in late December, but this year, on the instructions of the President of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba convened it earlier. Ukrainian ambassadors gathered for a meeting with the country's leadership to discuss the key tasks of Ukraine's foreign policy.
The goal is to hold a strategic session with Ukrainian diplomats before the start of the political season in their countries of residence and international organizations, to identify steps to implement the priority tasks of promoting Ukraine's interests and work on their implementation as efficiently as possible.
The 2023 Conference of Ambassadors was held under the slogan "Victory Above All!".
The event was attended by the Head of State and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. During the Conference of Ambassadors, separate thematic sessions were held with the participation of the Head of the President's Office, the First Lady, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Prime Minister, and the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Speaking to the ambassadors, the President's wife thanked them for their cooperation, in particular in the preparation of the third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen to be held in Ukraine in September.
"The new summit is dedicated to mental health. It is not only about Ukraine, but also about the world. In addition to the war, the world today is going through many challenges that determine the future of humanity: recovery from the pandemic, natural disasters (earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria), and rapid climate change. Crises have no borders - I always repeat this to foreign partners. Today, Ukraine has become an example in many ways. First of all, of course, in the defense of humanity and democracy. But we can also become an example of recovery, especially mental recovery. Because only with a resilient society is there any future at all," Olena Zelenska said.
The First Lady also emphasized the importance of cooperation between Ukrainian embassies and the Olena Zelenska Foundation. Since its creation, the Foundation has focused on three important areas: humanitarian aid, education, and healthcare. With the help of the Ukrainian missions, the Foundation raises funds from foreign philanthropists.
The President's wife emphasized that thanks to cooperation with the embassies of Ukraine in Denmark and Israel, this year the Foundation organized a summer vacation in the Carpathians for more than 1,600 children and their foster parents. In addition, together with the diplomatic missions of Ukraine in Germany, Albania and Canada, humanitarian aid was provided to residents of the de-occupied Kherson region and internally displaced persons.
And thanks to the joint work with the Ukrainian diplomatic missions in the United Arab Emirates and Australia, the construction of new houses for large foster families who lost their homes has begun.
In addition, with the assistance of Ukrainian diplomats in the United States and the Republic of Korea, 39 thousand laptops were provided to teachers.
Funds were also raised to restore operating rooms in the hospital in Izyum destroyed by the Russian occupiers. The Embassies of Ukraine in France and Denmark helped with this.
"We have done a lot in a year. We have no less important tasks and projects ahead as well. I urge all of you to act, to use every opportunity to talk about Ukraine and the Foundation in particular. All this will save lives. Many lives. And it will improve the quality of this life, the resilience of Ukrainians. The very mental endurance that is so necessary for the victory and which we will discuss at the Summit," the First Lady emphasized.
She also noted the cultural diplomacy projects implemented in cooperation with Ukrainian diplomatic missions in different countries.
"We have already launched 67 Ukrainian audio guides in major museums and landmarks in 42 countries, and the Ukrainization of outstanding landmarks continues. Here I would like to recognize the work of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands. After lengthy negotiations, an agreement was reached with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. The Ukrainian language will be very suitable for his famous sunflowers, because it is also a symbolic image for our country," she said.
Olena Zelenska emphasized that every Ukrainian is now an ambassador of their country and a defender of its interests.
