Visit of students of the Institute of International Relations to NATO Headquarters in Brussels
Recently, with the support of NATO in Ukraine, students of the International Communications Program of the Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Yaryna Loik and Yulia Kussul visited NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
During their visit to Brussels, the students visited the Alliance's main building, the Agora, which is a symbol of openness, dialogue and cooperation, saw the Steel Star, which represents NATO's unity, and the remains of the Berlin Wall, which symbolizes the victory of democracy over dictatorship.
During a working visit to NATO Headquarters, a number of meetings were held with representatives of the Alliance, including Ukrainian diplomats from the Mission of Ukraine to NATO.
A special mention should be made of the informative conversation with Petr Lunák, who serves as the Head of NATO's Interaction and Public Diplomacy Division. During the meeting, Mr. Lunák shared his memories of the period when the Czech Republic was under communist regime and the prospects for a democratic future seemed unrealistic.
Today, the Czech Republic is a member of the European Union and NATO, and is among the countries that actively support Ukraine.
Mr. Lunak emphasized the prospects of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration: “The world is changing - maybe not as fast as we would like, but it is changing. The day will come when these changes will allow Ukraine to become a full member of the Alliance.”
“It is inspiring. And it's even more inspiring to see our flag there in Brussels. Not yet among the flags of the member states, but already inside the headquarters. History is moving forward, as is the Ukrainian flag, which is slowly but surely moving closer to the NATO Steel Star,” said Yaryna Loik.
These few days of the working trip were extremely intense: meaningful discussions, informative speeches, and most importantly, a strong atmosphere of support and solidarity with Ukraine!
