By KYIV. Dec 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian people and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky have become laureates of the Charlemagne International Prize in 2023.
"The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen 2023 will be awarded to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and to the People of Ukraine," the awards committee reported on Twitter on Friday.
"Ukraine is a unitary republic who has had to make enormous sacrifices and have been subjected to immeasurable suffering. The Ukrainian people deserve the greatest recognition for the way they are defending freedom, democracy and self-determination," the committee reported.
"By displaying courage, leadership and tactical sensitivity, exemplifying a new, clear and unambiguous political style, deeply committed to the objectives of the European Union, he [the Ukrainian president] sets an example for all Europeans to refocus and reflect on European ideals and values," it said.
"By awarding the Charlemagne Prize 2023 to both the president and the people, we underscore the fact that Ukraine is part of Europe and that its population and its government representatives – headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky – support and defend European values, and therefore deserve this encouragement to enter swiftly into accession negotiations with the European Union," the report notes.
The International Charlemagne Prize was first awarded in 1950. It is the oldest and most prestigious award given to political and public figures or institutions that have made an outstanding contribution to the development of Europe and European integration.
