On 12 March, representatives of the Young European Ambassadors initiative in Ukraine (EU Neighbours East) and the Youth Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine visited the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. The event became a platform for getting acquainted, exchanging experiences and discussing prospects for further cooperation between the Academy and proactive young people in the field of international relations and public diplomacy.
Director Ihor Ostash addressed the guests with a welcoming speech, outlining the main areas of activity of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, and shared his own experience of implementing cultural diplomacy projects during his tenures as Ukraine’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Canada and Lebanon. The Head of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine emphasised the importance of partnership with youth organisations and their active involvement in international educational events:
“We see you as partners and invite you to further cooperation. Together, we can create new educational programmes, hold joint events and develop projects that will enhance Ukraine’s image in the world.”
During the meeting, Yaroslav Morozov, National Coordinator of the Young European Ambassadors initiative in Ukraine, and Vladlen Zaitsev, a member of the board, presented the network’s activities, whose main aim is to inform young people across the country about cooperation between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries, to run themed campaigns, to foster civic engagement, and to establish communication with Ukrainian youth abroad.
The Chair of the Youth Council at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Jan Earl-Ruzhytskyi, and Deputy Chair Yelyzaveta Kaidash presented the vision and areas of work of the Youth Council as a consultative and advisory body, institutionally integrated into the Ministry’s decision-making system with a view to promoting the interests of young people in the field of the state’s foreign policy and shaping a positive image of Ukraine in the world. Jan and Yelyzaveta spoke about practical examples of cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particularly regarding the involvement of young people in the diplomatic service and the development of an internship scheme within the Ministry and at diplomatic missions abroad.
The meeting also included a networking session, during which participants outlined plans for their first joint initiatives. In particular, they discussed the creation of new study courses at the Academy, the organisation of public events and presentations, and the holding of a competition for student research papers.
The event concluded with a tour of the Diplomatic Academy’s historic building and a viewing of the exhibition by Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Melnyk, ‘I See Your Deeds, Human!’