First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska received the recognition from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Honorary Ambassador 2023: A Cause for Victory."
The ceremony took place on the Diplomatic Service Day as a token of gratitude to Ukrainian and foreign citizens who have made a weighty contribution to promoting Ukraine on the international stage.
This expression of gratitude occurred for the first time in the history of Ukrainian diplomacy. Honorary Ambassadors are individuals who, using their experience, authority, and professional knowledge, have contributed to strengthening support and the positive image of our country worldwide. Olena Zelenska received a special recognition from Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba.
"It is an honor for me to be among you. I'm proud of each and every one in this room. Being an ambassador of Ukraine today means being an ambassador of democracy and truth. An ambassador of unprecedented resilience and courage. It is a big responsibility. The role of diplomacy in the current war, including cultural, scientific, and digital diplomacy, as we see from today's nominations, is enormous," said the President's wife.
She emphasized that being an ambassador of Ukraine now also means reclaiming the identity stolen by Russia.
"That's why it is so important that we consistently bring back Ukrainian artists who were appropriated by the empire. So that they can finally be Ukrainian ambassadors in famous museums and cultural communities. Our language is also our ambassador, and when we, along with our diplomats, open another audio guide in a historical monument or museum abroad, we are guided not only by the desire to create a convenient service. We want the Ukrainian language to be heard wherever Ukrainians are," Olena Zelenska said.
The awards for honorary ambassadors of Ukraine were presented in the main areas of public diplomacy: cultural, economic, expert, culinary, scientific-educational, sports, and digital diplomacy, as well as in the nominations "Ukrainian Brand" and "The Cause of Life." The winners are:
- Taras Topolia, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of cultural diplomacy;
- Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of economic diplomacy;
- the Crimea Platform Expert Network, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of expert diplomacy;
- Yevhen Klopotenko, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of culinary diplomacy;
- STEM is Fem, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of scientific-educational diplomacy;
- Team Ukraine Invictus Games, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of sports diplomacy;
- OSAVUL, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of digital diplomacy;
- Ruslan Baginskiy, Honorary Ambassador in Ukrainian Brand;
- James Mace (posthumously), Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine – The Cause of Life.
Representatives of the state sector, military personnel, veterans, activists, athletes, including members of the Ukrainian team at the Invictus Games, figures from the creative industry, and media professionals participated in the gratitude event.
"Today, I would like to say that anyone can be an ambassador of Ukraine regardless of their official position. Everyone can feel equal to it. You can be an ambassador by speaking Ukrainian abroad. You can be an ambassador by simply reminding people every day that the war in Ukraine continues, the suffering continues, and support is still needed, just as at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. If not more. Ultimately, being an ambassador of Ukraine means behaving with dignity. Always remember that the world's attention is focused on Ukrainians," said Olena Zelenska.
She addressed Ukrainians with a call to be ambassadors of the country in this way.
"Speaking with someone from abroad, let's imagine: what if you are the only Ukrainian that person has ever spoken to? And if each of us convinces at least one person to support Ukraine in their own way, we will have millions more ambassadors of humanity and justice," the First Lady concluded.