Intensifying international cooperation on comprehensive support for veterans: Natalia Kalmykova meets with Swiss Ambassador to Ukraine

Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Natalia Kalmykova, together with her deputy Oleg Shymanskyi, met with Félix Baumann, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine and Moldova, and representatives of the Peace and Human Rights Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs as well as the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine. The parties discussed the further development of state policy on veterans and opportunities for deepening international cooperation.

The Minister presented the key areas of state policy regarding veterans, female veterans and their families, emphasising the strategic importance of developing this area in terms of the security of Ukraine and Europe. In particular, the interlocutors addressed the development of a network of veterans' spaces, digitalisation (with an emphasis on the Veteran PRO platform), the development of veterans' sports, the expansion of opportunities for education and retraining, and the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.

Particular attention was paid to the prospects for cooperation in the field of rehabilitation, in particular the possibilities for treating Ukrainian defenders in Switzerland and supporting the development of rehabilitation facilities in Ukraine. The Swiss side is also considering educational programmes for veterans, including vocational education and training for specialists in the field of demining.

Among the proposed areas of partnership is the establishment of a multilateral donor fund to support the veteran community, enabling the implementation of large-scale projects.

Swiss aid programmes for Ukraine were also discussed: investments in reconstruction, humanitarian support, demining and rehabilitation projects, as well as active diplomatic cooperation aimed at establishing a just peace.

The participants of the meeting emphasised the importance of long-term and comprehensive support for veterans, being an important element of the stability and recovery of the Ukrainian state.