Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak met with alumni of the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv from different countries who came to Ukraine on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of this institution of higher education.
The meeting was attended by Hamada Madi, former Prime Minister and the Acting President of Comoros; Valeri Chechelashvili, first Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine; Gela Bezhuashvili, former Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs of Georgia; Altai Efendiev, former Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Spain and Secretary General of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM; Arturo Condori Romero, expert in international law from Peru and Director of the Latam Center (Gdansk); Oltion Çaçi, Mayor of Sarandë (Albania); Levan Varshalomidze, former Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara (Georgia).
Andriy Yermak noted that such visits are very important, since representatives of different countries can witness and feel firsthand what Ukrainians are going through today in the face of Russia's full-scale aggression.
At the same time, he stressed that it is much easier for foreigners who have studied in Ukraine and lived among Ukrainians to understand our people, their motivation to fight for their freedom, and to convey the truth about the situation in our country to the world.
“Ukraine is a country that wants peace more than anyone else. And everything we offer today, including our Peace Formula, is enshrined in the UN Charter,” the Head of the Presidential Office emphasized.
The participants fondly recalled their student years in Ukraine and expressed their gratitude for their education and life experience. They also highlighted that Ukraine is a multinational and multicultural country where foreigners feel quite comfortable.
On November 28, the IIR alumni present at the reunion took part in the international forum “Diplomacy Today: Ukraine's Role in Global Politics” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the institution. In total, the forum brought together 700 people. Among the participants were Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi, Deputy Heads of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva and Olena Kovalska, representatives of diplomatic missions, faculty and students. They discussed current issues and challenges of diplomacy.