Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with American businessman and philanthropist, chairman of the Open Society Foundations network, Alexander Soros.
According to the press service of the Office of the President, Yermak thanked Soros for participating in the first founding meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which took place on Friday in Kyiv.
“Your participation is very important. I hope that the coalition will demonstrate successful results,” said the Head of the Presidential Office.
Yermak also thanked for the adoption of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Olena Zelenska Foundation and the International Renaissance Foundation. The document was signed at the initiative of the Open Society Foundations network. “According to the Memorandum, $1 million will be allocated to support children in Ukraine, in particular, children raised in large foster families in the frontline, de-occupied and affected regions of our country,” the statement said.
Yermak also expressed his gratitude to Alexander Soros for signing the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Advisor to the Presidential Commissioner Daria Gerasymchuk and the Open Society Foundations. The document will contribute to the most effective protection of the rights of children affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and will help in the implementation of the President’s Plan Bring Kids Back UA, in particular, measures to return young citizens illegally deported by Russia.
“The Head of the President’s Office emphasized the importance of global publicity of the cases of deportation of Ukrainian minors by Russia. In his opinion, this can be facilitated by the publication of a book with stories about such children, as well as the involvement of world-famous personalities in the process of their return to Ukraine,” the press release reads.
Yermak also told Soros about projects to support veterans and their rehabilitation. He praised the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the International Renaissance Foundation and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, which provides for joint work in the field of psychological rehabilitation and psychological support for family members of military personnel, families of war victims, prisoners of war and internally displaced persons. As part of the Memorandum, pilot projects will be implemented in two institutions in Odesa region.
“Your family is doing a lot for Ukraine: important projects to protect our people, strengthen democracy, and make the Ukrainian state successful,” the Head of the Presidential Office said.
The parties also discussed opportunities for the development of the Ukrainian economy, in particular, the issues of recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.
