First Lady Olena Zelenska took part in the conference of ambassadors of Ukraine "Diplomacy 30. Strategy of Strong State," which was held in the village of Huta, Ivano-Frankivsk region. In her welcoming speech, the President's wife said that the diplomatic corps is a powerful tool for Ukraine's ties with the world. And this year there were many bright events in Ukrainian diplomacy.
"And I am proud to have initiated one of them – the Kyiv Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. In August, we received the wives and husbands of leaders from around the world in Kyiv. And they wrote a new, Ukrainian page in the history of soft power diplomacy, because this was the first such event in the world. Our task for next year is to bring the summit of the first ladies and gentlemen to the leading international platforms, to attract as many participants and world-class experts as possible. And here the skill and initiative of our diplomats will be needed," Zelenska said.
She also met separately with the spouses of Ukrainian ambassadors, who visited the event for the first time this year. The President's wife stressed the importance of family tandems in diplomatic work.
"There was a phrase in my husband's inaugural speech that was remembered: 'Each of us is the President.' I want to use it in a new way. And tell you all: "Each of us is the First Lady." You represent our country abroad, build its image. I personally know many of you and I am grateful for the help I receive from you during my visits," she said.
Zelenska told the audience about the priority projects implemented under her auspices – the reform of school nutrition, the introduction of a barrier-free environment for all, the fight against domestic violence – and invited representatives of the diplomatic corps to cooperate in these issues.
She also thanked them for their partnership in the project to create Ukrainian audio guides for the world's leading museums.
At the conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba summed up the diplomatic results of 2021.
"Today, the First Lady is implementing a set of important initiatives that are changing our society for the better. This is barrier-free environment, popularizing reading, important cultural initiatives. Abroad, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is implementing a large-scale initiative of Olena Zelenska to promote the positive image of Ukraine and popularize the Ukrainian language – the launch of Ukrainian-language audio guides in museums and attractions around the world. This is a very successful cooperation for the benefit of Ukraine," the minister said.
