On December 23, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Olexandr Mishchenko, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, paid a visit to the city of Sumy, where he held meetings with the leadership of the city and the region, and also took part in the official ceremony marking the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A. S. Makarenko.
The Sumy region is in a zone of constant threat from the Russian enemy, facing daily brutal attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilians. Recently, the Russian occupiers illegally detained and forcibly removed from the border village of Grabovske about 50 residents — civilians who refused to leave their homes — which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and another act of terror against the Ukrainian people.
The visit was preceded by a meeting between Olexandr Mishchenko and students and faculty of the A. S. Makarenko Sumy State Pedagogical University in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on December 22, during which the Deputy Minister told those present about the current challenges for Ukrainian diplomacy in the context of Russian aggression, the importance of training young specialists in the field of international relations, and also spoke about internship opportunities and potential employment of university representatives at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the beginning of the visit, Olexandr Mishchenko, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, handed over two 6 kW gasoline generators to Sumy State University and the Sumy Military State Administration for the needs of the university and residents of the region. This equipment is critically important in connection with the constant Russian terrorist attacks on the energy infrastructure of the region.
Oleksandr Mishchenko handed over to the Chief of Staff of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Ihor Kalchenko gifts for the children of the region — sweets, toys and sports equipment, which were collected on the initiative of the Association "Spouses of Ukrainian Diplomats" headed by Tetyana Sybiha. These gifts will soon be handed over to families with children who need support.
During the official ceremony marking the 101st anniversary of the foundation of the Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A. S. Makarenko, Oleksandr Mishchenko addressed the participants of the event, thanking the rector of the university Yuriy Lianny and the entire staff for the fact that despite the constant Russian shelling of the city and the region, the university continues to educate young people and train the necessary specialists and teachers. The Deputy Minister called on the students to be as active as possible, to use all opportunities to become comprehensively trained specialists and competitive candidates for the diplomatic service of Ukraine, together defending the state, the Ukrainian people and the international community from global threats and the brutal aggression of the Russian Federation.
At the end of the visit, the Ukrainian diplomat, together with the Chief of Staff of the Sumy OVA Ihor Kalchenko, inspected the city's civilian infrastructure damaged by Russian terrorist attacks, and discussed possible ways to provide additional support for the restoration of the city and meeting its humanitarian needs through international assistance from partner countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in its work pays special attention to the issue of supporting the residents of the Sumy region and its state institutions, as well as the military, who defend the region from the Russian enemy. Minister Andrii Sybiha regularly visits Sumy Oblast, where he meets with local authorities, the military, representatives of civil society organizations, and the community to personally assess the situation, listen to needs, and ensure coordination of international support for the region.