On Friday, 6 March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, hosted ambassadors of foreign states, leaders of the Crimean Tatar people, and representatives of the Muslim community of Ukraine for an iftar, an integral part of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims.

The event was attended by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov; leaders of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev and Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People; the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Olha Kuryshko; Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, Viktor Yelenskyi; singer Jamala; religious leaders of the Muslim community; members of the diplomatic corps; Members of Parliament of Ukraine; as well as ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Pakistan, Palestine, South Africa, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; the Chargé d’Affaires of Sudan; and the representative of UNICEF in Ukraine.

For the second consecutive year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has implemented the initiative of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to hold an iftar at the state level.

“This year, we observe Ramadan in an even more complex and turbulent time for the world, particularly for the Middle East. Ukraine closely follows developments and expresses solidarity with states and peoples facing the reckless aggression of the Iranian regime,” the Minister noted.

In this context, Andrii Sybiha expressed Ukraine’s solidarity with Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. He also expressed hope that the people of Iran will one day be able to live in freedom and under democratic values.

The Minister also expressed special gratitude to Ukrainian Muslim service members, to every defender of Ukraine.

“We may have different traditions, religions, and cultural backgrounds. However, we are united by shared values. Together, we respect human dignity. That is why we share our main goal - a just and dignified peace. Our strength lies in unity. This is what today’s iftar reminds us of,” he emphasized.

Participants of the event honored the memory of Ukraine’s defenders who gave their lives for the country’s independence with a minute of silence.

The Minister expressed gratitude to the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, the Musafir team, and the entire Crimean Tatar community for their support and co-organization of the iftar.