Arseniy Yatsenyuk at "Zavtra.UA" awarding ceremony: Progress means generating of energy of millions who wish to achieve a goal

On Wednesday, June 25 the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk participated in an awarding ceremony of “Zavtra.UA” initiative to support talented youth. He personally handed over the awards to the winners in the initiative’s rating - Tetyana Shyrina, Halyna Beschasna and Oleh Rymarenko.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk addressed all the fellows and stressed nowadays “we are living in another Ukraine”. “It is not the same “Zavtra.UA” as a year or two ago, and not the same Ukraine. It is Ukraine that is undergoing the most difficult challenges throughout all independence years and is suffering from war on its territory”.

“Russia has occupied Crimea, made military aggression and seized our territory. Russia started supporting bandits and still continues doing it in Luhansk and Donetsk, who are just trying to tear the country apart,” said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

According to him, the country is at war of ideologies: “Russia opposes you to be free. Those who started war in Eastern Ukraine oppose everyone of us to be a free person and know what freedom means”.

“We stand for freedom. We stand for will. We promote democracy. We promote human rights, respect for the international law and respect for our partners, for the modern world without war. But we are at war, it came to our homes, to our friends, simple people we have never seen,” the Head of Government emphasized.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk highlighted in such a time it is vital for the country to demonstrate cohesion and unity, responsibility and purposefulness: “None should feel fear and depression, as it is far more terrible than weapon, guns, terrorists and bandits”.

“This is the way not a territory but a state is shaped. This is the way the population is transformed into people and nation. However, it is hard to say, it is hard to overcome,” he accentuated.

“I want to see Ukraine a model European country. But it is not enough just to want, we should work hard to achieve that, we should know what to do… The EU isn’t something written in paper, it is what you believe in,” the Prime Minister said.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk appealed to the fellows of “Zavtra.UA”: “A new generation doesn’t mean age, but mentality, knowledge, values and responsibility”.

According to him, progress within the country “isn’t just decisions of the Government or Parliament. Progress means generating of energy of millions who wish to achieve a goal”.

“You are capable to become a driving force of this progress. The largest responsibility for the fate of the country will be placed on your shoulders. We will preserve our state, we will stand all the tests. I have confidence in you as a qualitatively new Ukrainian generation, different and just better people who have no post-Soviet burden,” the Head of Government said.

He wished the fellow winners not to lose desire to make new achievements: “In order to prove daily you are the best. Just imagine we have a thousand of people proving they are best, then 10 thousand, 100 thousand. Can you imagine the unique society we will have in the country?”

“Times are difficult. But we will overcome the difficulties. Struggle and you’ll win. We will win together,” Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.

Scholarship program “Zavtra.UA” is the largest private nationwide initiative to support gifted youth in Ukraine. It is established to promote formation and strengthening of a new generation of intellectual and business elites of the country. From the moment it was established in 2006 around 2200 students have become the scholarship holders.