On October 25, the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė, met with a Ukrainian delegation consisting of representatives of the government and state-owned enterprises of Ukraine at the Ukraine Center. The delegation visited Lithuania on a study visit, supported by the SOERA project, to learn about Lithuania's experience in corporate governance and public sector reforms.
Also during this event, the First Lady of Lithuania met with active Ukrainian youth who participated in the five-day Community Development Accelerator project of the Ukrainian Center. This project aimed to bring together participants from Ukraine and temporarily displaced Ukrainians in Lithuania to expand their competencies in civic engagement, provide knowledge and tools to launch their own initiatives, and work with grant programs.
The meeting was also attended by Charge d'Affaires a.i. of Ukraine in Lithuania Viktor Hamotskyi, spouse of the Ambassador of Ukraine to Lithuania Hanna Beshta and Vice-Rector of Vytautas Magnus University Vilma Bijeikienė.
“By establishing this Center, we, together with the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, aimed not only to create a safe humanitarian space for Ukrainians, but also to provide them with opportunities for development and growth, acquire new knowledge and build a community based on academic values, democratic principles and cultural exchange. We see this as a social innovation, where the efficient use of resources, close ties between partners and international, inter-institutional, public, multilateral cooperation are aimed at strengthening cultural interaction rather than cultural assimilation,” noted Mrs. Nausiedene. She emphasized that we all have a common human duty to preserve the unique cultural heritage of Ukraine and to defend the future of a free, sovereign state in the 21st century.
Viktor Hamotskyi, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Nausėdienė for her unwavering support, indifference and sincere care for Ukrainian citizens in Lithuania, and thanked all partners and volunteers who, through their tireless work, help develop the Center for the benefit of Ukraine and Ukrainians.
As part of the meeting, the guests also attended the discussion “Civic Activism as a Way of Expressing Modern Youth. Two worlds: online and offline” as part of the project of the Ukrainian Center ‘Youth Think Tank’. The lecture was delivered by Natalie Dapkiene, an expert on democratic practices. The Youth Think Tank project serves as a platform for meetings between Ukrainian and Lithuanian schoolchildren and students with politicians, diplomats, experts, and public figures.
Photo: Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidento kanceliarijos nuotraukos/ Eitvydas Kinaitis