Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk stated the above, congratulating representatives of the Diplomatic Service of Ukraine on the occasion of their professional holiday. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, and heads of ministries and departments attended the solemn event on the occasion of the Day of the Diplomatic Service of Ukraine.
In his address, Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked Ukrainian diplomats for supporting Ukraine internationally. He emphasized that, despite the prolonged phase of the war, Ukraine's unity and support from the international community remain unwavering. According to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the merit of the diplomatic service is the main reason, as it not only strengthens ties but also expands Ukraine's diplomatic geography.
Ruslan Stefanchuk separately noted the contribution of diplomats to interparliamentary cooperation, particularly military, humanitarian, and financial assistance. According to him, the Ukrainian Parliament is consistently working to ensure that these issues remain a priority for the international community. "Together, we were able to ensure and support the flow of aid to Ukraine," he emphasized.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada also drew attention to the historic decision of the European Council to start negotiations with Ukraine on joining the European Union. He highlighted that the Parliament plays a key role in shaping the negotiating framework for the first time in the history of EU enlargement. "This is our victory, which demonstrates the professionalism and coherence of our work," Ruslan Stefanchuk noted.
He mentioned that Ukrainian diplomacy was preserving Ukraine's status as a peaceful country. The President of Ukraine's peace formula remains a key and fair proposal for the international community. Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized that Ukraine, as one of the founding members of the UN, continues to insist on compliance with its charter by all member states.
The Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament emphasized the Verkhovna Rada's readiness to continue cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on all issues related to the interests of the Ukrainian state. "I believe in the power of Ukrainian diplomacy. And I have had the opportunity to see this more than once," he emphasized.
"I want to wish the Ukrainian foreign policy service in wartime diplomacy to become a diplomacy of victory, a diplomacy that will achieve and be able to maintain a lasting and just peace," he said at the end of his speech.
After the speech, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, presented the awards of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to representatives of the diplomatic service.
During his speech, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasized: "Over the past year, Ukraine has been able to become stronger, has been able to become closer to the goal that unites all our people: we need to defeat the occupier, defeat this evil, we need a just peace, and every one of you must work for this very purpose. To be an ambassador of Ukraine - to be a Ukrainian diplomat is to be a person who can answer specifically the question of what exactly you have done to bring peace closer and protect the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainians. The next year will be key in terms of this task. We must do everything to make 2025 a year of just peace for Ukraine."
In his turn, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, outlined two strategic economic policy tasks for diplomats: "The first task is to make Ukraine stronger. The second task is to make Russia weaker. Today, I want to thank you for your active work in these areas. We constantly see its results." Denys Shmyhal also named the main areas of the diplomatic corps work undertaken in cooperation with the Government. These include, in particular, sanctions pressure on Russia, attracting financial resources, and attracting investments.