On July 4, Deputy Minister, President of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO Mariana Betsa attended the conference “Aspects of Humanitarian Diplomacy in the Context of War: Cultural and Environmental Damages in Ukraine”, and also visited the photo exhibition "...But They Will Be Reborn in Glory and Power" regarding Ukrainian shrines destroyed as a result of Russian aggression.

The event was organized by the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Ukraine in cooperation with the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, and the UNESCO Antenna Office in Ukraine.

In her statement, Mariana Betsa drew attention to the devastating consequences of full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine on the cultural and natural sites of our country.

"Cultural genocide is part of the Russian Federation's strategy to destroy the national identity of Ukraine. Russia must bear full responsibility for its crimes", the President of the National Commission emphasized, and shared statistics on the damage caused to Ukrainian cultural and natural sites by the Russian Federation.

Mariana Betsa called on partners to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, which continues to violate the basic principles of UNESCO and the UN Charter, in order to hold the aggressor state to account.

The Deputy Minister also noted the important contribution of UNESCO and partner countries to the preservation of cultural and natural sites of Ukraine in the context of war. In this regard, Mariana Betsa emphasized that the issue of protecting Ukraine's cultural heritage will be among the priorities of the upcoming URC2025 Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine, which will be held in Rome on July 10-11.

The guests were welcomed by the Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of the Hospitallers of St.John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta Mr. Antonio Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone, Director of the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Hennadii Nadolenko, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine for European Integration Mr. Andriy Nadzhos, and Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalization Mr. Serhiy Vlasenko.

The event was also attended by the Head of the UNESCO Antenna Office in Kyiv, Mrs. Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, and the co-founder of the Association of Spouses of Ukrainian Diplomats Mrs. Tetyana Sybiha.

The participants of the event discussed a wide range of issues related to the role and place of humanitarian diplomacy in the process of overcoming the consequences of damage caused to the cultural and natural sphere of Ukraine by the aggressor state.