On 24 April, Ihor Ostash, Director of the Diplomatic Academy, met with Lars Ragnar Hansen, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ukraine.

The parties exchanged views on the specifics of the education system in the field of international relations and the professional development of diplomats and civil servants in Ukraine and Norway, and agreed that the topic of military diplomacy plays a key role in training today.

Ihor Ostash and Lars Ragnar Hansen also discussed opportunities for cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and the NUPI Ukraine Centre, which opened in February 2026 as part of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and operates with the support of the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). The NUPI Ukraine Centre is expected to become a hub for NUPI’s Ukraine-related research, including topics such as the impact of the war in Ukraine on Norwegian, European, and global security policy; cooperation between the Ukrainian and European defense industries; the organization of military support for Ukraine; the organization of aid and support for reconstruction; the situation in Ukrainian regions temporarily occupied by Russia, and more.

The parties also discussed the possibility of inviting Norwegian experts and lecturers to conduct short-term and long-term courses at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine on international Arctic policy, which is one of the main priorities of Norway’s foreign policy.

In addition, Ihor Ostash thanked the Norwegian Ambassador to Ukraine for the comprehensive support Norway has provided to Ukraine in the military and humanitarian spheres since the very first day of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.

First Deputy Director Iryna Ivashchuk and Deputy Director Kateryna Sydorenko also participated in the meeting on the Ukrainian side.