Ukraine is determined to respond decisively to any manifestations of antisemitism, xenophobia, intolerance and to prevent the spread of hate crimes. This was emphasized by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal in his address at the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism.

The event is being held in Malmö on October 13-14 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden Stefan Löfven and with the participation of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, leaders of the European Union, Heads of State and Government, representatives of international organizations, research and public institutions.

Denys Shmyhal noted that the memory of the victims of Nazi terror in Ukraine has become part of the national identity.

"Babyn Yar is one of the bitterest memories of the Holocaust. This tragedy is an eternal reminder of the need for joining decisive efforts to prevent the revival of totalitarian ideologies, manifestations of intolerance on ethnic grounds," said the Head of the Ukrainian Government.

The Prime Minister added that Ukraine had become the first country in the post-Soviet space to include the topic of the Holocaust back in the 1990s as mandatory for students in all national schools in accordance with the recommendations of the Council of Europe.

"The effectiveness of the educational work of the State and public organizations is demonstrated by the PewResearchCenter survey, which determines Ukraine as the country having the lowest prevalence of antisemitic sentiment in Eastern Europe," urged Denys Shmyhal.

Apart from that, the Prime Minister reminded that in September this year the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine had adopted the Law "On Prevention and Counteraction to Anti-Semitism in Ukraine", which determines the term "anti-Semitism" at the legislative level and aims to prevent and combat antisemitism and its manifestations in Ukraine.

"The memory of the Holocaust tragedy is part of the national memory of the Ukrainian people. By honoring it, it is possible to form a society characterized by feelings of tolerance, interethnic and interreligious understanding, in which human rights are the basis," said Denys Shmyhal.

The Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism brought together representatives of 70 countries and organizations. It should result in the reaffirmation and revision of the norms of the Stockholm Declaration of 2000 and the adoption of new norms, the most important of which are combatting antisemitism and Holocaust denial.