By KYIV. Dec 23 (Interfax-Ukraine) – First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska received the Ministry of Foreign Affairs award Honorary Ambassador 2023. Deed for Victory, the press service of the President’s Office reported on Friday evening.
It is noted that the ceremony was held on the day of diplomatic service workers as a sign of gratitude to Ukrainian and foreign citizens who have made a significant contribution to the promotion of Ukraine in the international arena.
“It is an honor for me to be among you. I’m proud of each and every one in this room. Being an ambassador of Ukraine today means being an ambassador of democracy and truth. An ambassador of unprecedented resilience and courage. It is a big responsibility. The role of diplomacy in the current war, including cultural, scientific, and digital diplomacy, as we see from today’s nominations, is enormous,” the President’s wife said.
The awards for honorary ambassadors of Ukraine were presented in the main areas of public diplomacy: cultural, economic, expert, culinary, scientific-educational, sports, and digital diplomacy, as well as in the nominations “Ukrainian Brand” and “The Cause of Life.”
The winners are: Taras Topolia, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of cultural diplomacy; Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of economic diplomacy; the Crimea Platform Expert Network, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of expert diplomacy; Yevhen Klopotenko, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of culinary diplomacy; STEM is Fem, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of scientific-educational diplomacy; Team Ukraine Invictus Games, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of sports diplomacy; OSAVUL, Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of digital diplomacy; Ruslan Baginskiy, Honorary Ambassador in Ukrainian Brand; and James Mace (posthumously), Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine – The Cause of Life.
Representatives of the state sector, military personnel, veterans, activists, athletes, including members of the Ukrainian team at the Invictus Games, figures from the creative industry, and media professionals participated in the gratitude event.
“Today, I would like to say that anyone can be an ambassador of Ukraine regardless of their official position. Everyone can feel equal to it. You can be an ambassador by speaking Ukrainian abroad. You can be an ambassador by simply reminding people every day that the war in Ukraine continues, the suffering continues, and support is still needed, just as at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. If not more. Ultimately, being an ambassador of Ukraine means behaving with dignity. Always remember that the world’s attention is focused on Ukrainians,” Olena Zelenska said.
She addressed Ukrainians with a call to be ambassadors of the country in this way.
