During her visit to the United Arab Emirates, First Lady Olena Zelenska met with representatives of the government and the Dubai Cares charitable organization.
In particular, the President's wife met with Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy and Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri - the UAE's commissioners for humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Olena Zelenska thanked the ministers for the United Arab Emirates' constant attention to humanitarian issues in Ukraine and the UAE’s assistance.
"The Ruslan, loaded with food and ambulances for Ukraine in the first months of the invasion, more than 2,000 generators on the eve of the military winter of 2022-2023 are just some examples of the UAE's assistance to Ukraine. A powerful women's team of the UAE government is working to develop comprehensive cooperation between the Emirates and Ukraine, especially in the humanitarian sphere," Olena Zelenska said.
The President's wife and representatives of the UAE government visited the country's first Ukrainian restaurant, which opened in the autumn of 2022.
"There is more and more of Ukraine in the world every day. There should also be more and more of the world in Ukraine. Because cooperation is always a two-sided movement," Olena Zelenska said.
She also met with representatives of the Dubai Cares charitable foundation, which, among other things, works with the UN in the field of inclusive education and assistance to children. The First Lady of Ukraine presented the Olena Zelenska Foundation's project to meet the humanitarian needs of family-type children's homes, including an initiative to build new homes for families who lost their homes due to the war. The pilot project provides such housing for internally displaced children's homes. The Foundation is currently seeking foreign sponsors for the initiative.
At the beginning of her visit to the UAE, Olena Zelenska introduced the project to the President of the country, the ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He supported the development of the initiative.
During the meeting with Dubai Cares representatives, the First Lady expressed hope for further cooperation.
"I hope to see my colleagues and their projects in Ukraine. This is exactly what the Foundation exists for - to attract the attention of foreign philanthropists, organizations and corporate partners, to become a mediator between them and people in need of help in Ukraine. We want people's lives, and therefore the country, to be restored as soon as possible," Olena Zelenska summarized.
