The ceremony was joined by nearly sixty representatives of foreign nations including presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Georgia. The United States was represented at the sitting by the US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and the US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker. Canada sent its National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. From France, there was the Minister of European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin. Poland was represented by Jacek Czaputowicz, the foreign minister. The European Union was represented by Vice-President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic. NATO’s delegation was headed by Assistant Secretary General Alejandro Alvargonzalez.
Together with many other foreign dignitaries of high rank there were ambassadors of foreign states, chiefs of foreign missions accredited in Ukraine, diplomatists, authorized delegates of the incoming Ukraine’s president, the mass media.
The meeting attendees greeted Volodymyr Zelenskyi with applause.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy opened the solemn sitting. Ukraine’s national anthem was chorused.
Then, the Central Election Commission (CEC) head Tetiana Slipachuk proclaimed the official results of the April 21 elections confirming V.Zelenskyi’s victory.
Afterwards, Volodymyr Zelenskyi was duly sworn in by the head of Ukraine’s Constitutional Court, Justice Natalia Shaptala by reading out, signing and handing the solemn oath over to the chief justice of the Constitutional Court.
Having verified this, the chief justice proclaimed Volodymyr Zelenskyi a president of Ukraine and presented to him the symbols of presidential power: the presidential standard, the seal, a ceremonial collar, and the presidential bulava (mace).
The CEC head Tetiana Slipachuk also gave V. Zelenskyi his presidential identity document.
After that, the parliamentary chamber listened through to a spiritual anthem of Ukraine.
Then, the Chairman gave the floor to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi for his first address to the nation - the inauguration speech.
After the speech the solemn sitting was closed.
On a final note, there the national anthem of Ukraine resounded in the walls of the chamber.