On the 1000th day of the war in Ukraine, State Secretary Melita Gabrič received Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. The Ukrainian minister is part of a delegation led by the First Lady of Ukraine, Ms Olena Zelenska, who is visiting at the invitation of Mr Tomaž Lovrenčič, Director of the ITF Enhancing Human Security humanitarian organisation, and Mr Aleš Musar, the spouse of the President of Slovenia.

State Secretary Gabrič reaffirmed Slovenia’s commitment to continue to provide all necessary support and assistance to Ukraine to the best of its ability, both in its defence against the Russian aggression and on its path towards a European and Euro-Atlantic perspective. The State Secretary also assured the Ukrainian minister of Slovenia’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and for the country’s pursuit of a just peace.

The two officials reaffirmed the good bilateral relations and the interest in further strengthening cooperation, particularly in humanitarian and development cooperation projects. Underlining the need to rebuild Ukraine, they discussed the possibilities for Slovenian companies to get involved in the reconstruction. The Ukrainian Minister presented the current humanitarian needs of the country and the demining projects funded by the Slovenian Government in Ukraine as direct bilateral ODA.

Since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Slovenia has provided strong support and humanitarian and development assistance to Ukraine, focusing on demining, rehabilitation of war victims, psychosocial support for children and their families and health care.