As part of the International Summit of Cities and Regions, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and President of the European Committee of the Regions Vasco Cordeiro.
The Head of State thanked them for their visit to Ukraine and participation in this important event.
"Thank you for understanding that we are fighting against Russian aggression and for common values. And it is very important for our society to know that we are not alone today," he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the significant scale of assistance that Paris and the European Committee of the Regions have provided and continue to provide to Ukraine since the very beginning of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against our country.
During the meeting, the President of Ukraine emphasized the importance of the Committee's support for the initiative to mobilize EU regions around the restoration of our country.
"The war is still ongoing, but we already need to restore a lot of infrastructure, educational and medical facilities. Therefore, we should convey this message both to the governments of other countries and to businesses so that they come and invest in Ukraine," the Head of State emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately thanked Anne Hidalgo for supporting tens of thousands of forcibly resettled Ukrainians to whom Paris provided shelter and helped find it throughout France, as well as for more than 100 trucks of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The Head of State also recalled the leadership of Paris on the energy track and the help for our country in passing this difficult winter, when the Russians tried to leave Ukrainians without light and heat.
Separately, the President noted Anne Hidalgo's personal unflagging stance on the issue of not allowing Russian athletes to international competitions, first of all to the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
"We are extremely committed to the Olympic Games. For me, Paris is the capital of human rights. And not only for me. This is very important - the values of the Olympic Movement. Values of humanism. Values of Europe. At the next Olympics in Paris in 2024, if the war continues, if the Russians still attack you, it will mean they attack us and our values. And, in my opinion, Russian athletes cannot be accepted in Paris if the war continues. That's why we're here. We are trying to convince athletes, international federations and countries. We stand with you. We support you in your struggle. You can count on Paris and on me," Anne Hidalgo said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the mayor of the French capital with the "Rescuer City" honorary award, which was awarded to Paris by decree of the President of Ukraine.
