Under the leadership of the President of Ukraine, the Government is currently shaping a new model of youth policy. The policy of open doors and wide opportunities, the policy of freedom and self-realisation of every young Ukrainian. This was stated by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in his speech at the Ukrainian Youth Forum 2024 "Free to Dream!".

The event brought together President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak.

Denys Shmyhal highlighted three main directions in this youth policy. The first is the preservation and enhancement of human capital.

"We value each person as an individual, not as a unit in statistics. It is important that each and every one of us develops our talents to the fullest extent possible here in Ukraine. Our task is to give young people a Ukrainian project for the future. And to encourage those who are now abroad to return home," the Prime Minister said and added that the Government was developing and implementing the relevant initiatives of the Head of State.

The second area of work, according to Denys Shmyhal, is the integration of young people into internal processes: from the most remote community to the capital, from local projects to national strategic decisions.

"A special emphasis is placed on reconstruction. Our youth is one of the drivers of recovery, and they are actively involved in the process today. We are also talking about expanding economic opportunities. These include programmes to support young entrepreneurs, financial literacy training, assistance in finding a first job and gaining work experience," the Head of Government noted.

The third area of government policy is health and inclusion. This includes physical activity, healthy eating, psychological resilience, equality, accessibility, and barrier-free access.

"This applies to the space of our cities and villages, to the services provided by the state and the community, and to opportunities in the private sector. All people are different, but each has their particular strengths. We need favourable conditions to show them and implement them. This is what we are working for and what we are striving for," said Denys Shmyhal.

The Prime Minister congratulated the Ukrainian youth on the holiday and wished each of them to find their own path in life and confidently follow it to their goals.

"We often hear the expression that our young boys and girls are our future. But I am sure that young people are not only about our future, they are about our present. You have an extremely important mission. To bring Ukraine to economic leadership. To complete the path to the EU and the Euro-Atlantic community. To confirm Ukraine's role in the world as a guarantor of peace and security," the Prime Minister stressed.

Denys Shmyhal also awarded the winners of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Prize for outstanding achievements of young people in the development of Ukraine.