From 16 to 26 June, the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine held a two-week course titled “International Cooperation” for civil servants working in the field of external relations.

As part of the programme, participants attended lectures on diplomatic etiquette and protocol, the organization of international events involving foreign delegations, language etiquette, business and diplomatic correspondence, business dress code, the development and functioning of the EU’s Common Foreign, Security and Defence Policy, the preparation and conclusion of international treaties, Ukraine’s economic recovery and the mobilization of external micro- and macro-assistance, international negotiations, and business correspondence in English.

The sessions were delivered by Ukrainian and international experts, diplomats, and practitioners: Liudmyla Nedilska, PhD in Political Science and diplomat; Taavi Toom, diplomat, former Estonian Ambassador to Denmark and Poland, and Director of the Security Policy and EU Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia; Oleksandr Braiko, Deputy Director of the Department and Head of the International Treaties Division at the Department of International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Ihor Burakovskyi, Chair of the Board of the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting; Michael Roberts, career British diplomat, Ambassador, consultant and coach specialising in EU and international affairs; and Yaroslav Smovzh, Chief Specialist of the Bilateral Cooperation Division at the Department for International Cooperation of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Combining thematic lectures with a practical focus on the day-to-day work of civil servants involved in international engagement, the course enabled participants to deepen their professional knowledge, systematize approaches to international cooperation, and discuss current challenges in the field of external relations.