Today, the Mission’s Office hosted a meeting with Ukrainian families affected by Russian aggression, who visited Durrës and Tirana for recreation and rest, as well as advocacy events at the Parliament of Albania and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Albania within the framework of the partnership between the Mission and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Albania in Kharkiv.

The Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Shahin Omarov, and the Representative of the Commissioner in the System of Bodies in the Security and Defense Sector, Oleksandr Kononenko, attended the meeting. The Deputy Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Denys Chystikov, Head of the Crimea Platform Department, Maria Tomak, and Chief Consultant of the Crimean Platform Support Service, Kateryna Vasylieva, who coordinated the families during the trip and accompanied them during advocacy activities, also joined the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Svitlana Solonska, wife of an Azov soldier who was killed in a terrorist attack in Olenivka; Tetiana Vasylchenko, a paramedic with the Hospitallers volunteer medical battalion who defended the city of Mariupol, was captured and returned home during an exchange; Maryna Kiiashko, wife of political hostage Ihor Kiiashko; and Yuliia Samosvat, mother of a child who was returned from the territory of Russia. Other families and a representative from the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Olha Kulish, who accompanied the families during their visit to Albania, joined the meeting online.

During the event, the families shared their impressions of the trip and expressed their gratitude to the organizers for implementing the project, which allowed them to recharge for at least a few days, experience the tranquility, and see the peaceful sky. While traveling through Albania, Ukrainian families recalled the Crimean Mountains, the Black and Azov Seas, and their homes that remain under occupation.

We express our gratitude to the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Albania in Kharkiv, Mr. Shahin Omarov, the Glory to Heroes NGO, Jaanika Merilo, as well as the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights for their cooperation and support of Ukrainian families in need.