EU Ambassador travels to Vinnytsia for a two-day regional visit
“In beautiful Vinnytsia, I witnessed first hand how resilient and vibrant are Ukrainian regional centres and their civil society”
– emphasised the EU Ambassador, Katarína Mathernová.
The programme started with a laying flowers ceremony held with the Mayor Serhiy Morhunov and Vycheslav Sokolovyy, Chair of Vinnytsya Oblast Council, at the monument dedicated to the 29 people, including small children, who lost their lives in a Russian missile attack of July 14, 2022.
European Union, 2024
The Ambassador then visited the relocated Donetsk National University, now named after Vasyl Stus, a Ukrainian writer dissident, where she was welcomed by the rector Prof. Illya Khadzhynov. She underlined that
Despite facing countless challenges, the university has stood firm, resisting Russian invasion, to become one of the twenty best universities.
Here she discussed with over 50 students about the future of Ukraine within the European family.
European Union, 2024
A key part of the programme was represented by the visit to two of the many EU funded projects in the region. First, the "Veteran Space”, where she paid tribute to the fallen and injured defenders who sacrificed their life and family for a free and democratic Ukraine. The EU Ambassador heighted that
Supporting the integration of Ukrainian defenders and their families into society is one of the most important tasks now and for the years to come,
European Union, 2024
The second project, an open-air exhibition dedicated to the renowned writer Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky, reminded the importance of art and culture in times of war.
“Despite Russian attempts to suppress Ukrainian cultural identity, the spirit of resilience shines through,”
she commented.
European Union, 2024
The second key component of the visit was EU Ambassador’s participation to the Regional Media Seminar organised by the EU Delegation in Vinnytsia.
Here the Ambassador was able to meet 35 journalists and discuss about EU support to Ukraine, Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and the key role played by regional media in explaining to Ukrainians such complex process.
This event was part of a series of Regional Media Seminars organized by the EU Delegation to familiarise journalists with the European Union and UA path to EU accession. Similar events already took place in Lutsk, Ivano-Frankisk and Lviv.
The visit ended with a meeting with Serhiy Borzov, Head of the Regional Military Administration and his colleagues.
European Union, 2024