As part of the annual Conference of Ambassadors of Ukraine, a separate meeting of First Lady Olena Zelenska with heads of diplomatic institutions was held. The President's wife thanked the representatives of the diplomatic corps for their work.
"To say that more work for Ukrainian diplomats was this year means to say nothing. To say that responsibility has increased is also an understatement. International support for Ukraine and sanctions against the aggressor, supply of weapons and humanitarian aid, care for our forced migrants in different countries and an information mission – to tell, convince, resist propaganda – now all this is the daily work of our diplomatic corps. Just like the whole country, our diplomats are now writing a new history of Ukraine," the First Lady said.
She said she is proud to be one of the participants of this diplomatic front, in particular, talking about the Ukrainian resistance when speaking to the US Congress and the British Parliament. She also informed about cooperation with the diplomatic corps.
"Together, we participated in numerous international conferences and other events in support of Ukraine, helped with the accommodation of our forced migrants, opened Ukrainian bookshelves in the largest libraries of the world and audio guides in leading world tourist attractions, supporting culture so that it would support us. Ukrainian diplomats joined the organization of the second Kyiv Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, at which we raised $6.4 million to purchase 84 ambulance vehicles for emergency care centers. And now our diplomats are helping my Foundation attract foreign aid for Ukraine to rebuild hospitals, schools, and import humanitarian aid," the President's wife said.
Within the framework of the conference, she also held a meeting with the spouses of Ukrainian ambassadors. Last year, for the first time, they created their own association – the "Wives of Ukrainian Diplomats" platform.
"Now we see what a good idea it was: during this year of the Russian invasion, you all cooperated for our victory," Zelenska said.
She discussed with the participants of the platform how to use their influence to help the homeland, how they can join humanitarian aid and cultural diplomacy, support compatriots abroad. A particularly important topic is quality education for children of Ukrainian forced migrants.
"Ukraine is fighting for the preservation of each of its people and each family. So it is not surprising that Ukrainians are now fighting, volunteering, and working for victory by the entire families. The same is happening in the diplomatic realm," the First Lady said.
The annual Conference of Ambassadors of Ukraine was held in Kyiv on December 22-23 under the slogan "War and New Horizons in the World."
The event is aimed at summing up the results of the current year in diplomacy and defining key goals for 2023, the implementation of which will make it possible to strengthen the stability and defense capability of Ukraine, as well as create new opportunities for the state, business and citizens.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba emphasized the special significance of this year's Diplomatic Service Employee Day because it is celebrated on the background of the historic results of the visit of the President of Ukraine to the United States.