Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha announced the official opening of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Lyon, France.

The Foreign Minister reported that on the morning of July 9, the new diplomatic institution of Ukraine has already started receiving citizens. According to him, Ukraine is expanding its diplomatic presence in France – a strategically important partner state.

“This is an important milestone that we have been working towards for a long time. The new Consulate General will cover a number of French regions – Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and Corsica. It will help establish closer ties with citizens, whose number in the consular district, according to unofficial data, is approximately 45 000, ensure the availability of consular services, and strengthen ties with the Ukrainian community. These are the tasks that I set for Consul General Serhii Esaulov, while presenting him with a consular patent”, he noted.

The Foreign Minister reported that the premises of the Consulate General of Ukraine are modern, meet European standards and are barrier-free. The minister also said that the day before, it had been visited by Dmytro Shchebetiuk, the head of the nonprofit organization “Dostupno.UA,” who had met with the community and praised the accessibility of the space.

“It is symbolic that on the day of the start of receiving citizens, the Consulate General opens the exhibition “Colors of Resilience” by Ukrainian artists, which will be exhibited for two months. The consular institution is also glad to welcome little Ukrainians: a miniature art space with books has been set up for them. On the official pages of the Consulate General, its website and Facebook, you can find up-to-date information about consular services, document requirements, important announcements and announcements of on-site consular services for the Ukrainian community in France”, the Minister noted.