On August 6, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Estonia Maksym Kononenko paid a courtesy visit to President of Estonia Alar Karis. During the meeting, the Ambassador personally expressed his gratitude to the President for the high level of cooperation and trust established between the leaders of Ukraine and Estonia.

The most recent phone conversation between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the President of Estonia, held on July 28 of this year, demonstrated that the two leaders are able to engage in friendly, constructive, and mutually respectful dialogue on even the most complex political issues.

The Ambassador reaffirmed Ukraine’s invitation for President Karis to visit Ukraine in the near future on a working visit, noting that there are many important occasions ahead - the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence, the National Prayer Breakfast, the commemoration of the Holodomor, and the International Summit on Food Security. President Karis assured that he would find an opportunity to make such a visit.

The conversation focused on a number of important issues, including the situation on the front lines and defence assistance to Ukraine, the country’s progress toward EU and NATO membership, the end of the war, and the formation of a new security architecture in Europe.

Maksym Kononenko expressed his gratitude to Estonia and its leader for their unwavering support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in resisting Russian aggression. The Estonian people demonstrate this support sincerely and wholeheartedly, fully aware of the existential threat coming from the East.

Particular attention was given to the activities of First Lady of Estonia, Sirje Karis, who has traditionally participated in the Summits of First Ladies and Gentlemen held in Kyiv under the patronage of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.

This year’s summit topic “Education Shaping the World” is especially timely and meaningful. Given that Estonia’s education system is among the best in the world, Maksym Kononenko expressed his hope that Mrs. Karis would share Estonia’s achievements and good practices in this field. He also thanked her for her personal engagement in supporting large families from the Zhytomyr region, for whom Estonia has built adapted housing.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Ambassador presented the President of Estonia as an active participant in the International Crimea Platform with a symbolic gift: a fragment of the Pectoral, a Scythian chest ornament discovered by Ukrainian archaeologists during the excavation of the Tovsta Mohyla burial mound. The item vividly illustrates how closely Crimea and the Northern Black Sea region are historically and culturally intertwined with the rest of mainland Ukraine.
In return, the Ambassador received a collection of articles and memoirs by Estonian statesman Juhan Kukk, Framer of Estonian Independence, along with a pen “for writing memoirs.”