A Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Baby Jesus Paediatric Hospital(Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù), a tertiary care academic children's hospital located in Rome that is under extraterritorial jurisdiction of the Holy See, sees the stage of finalization.

This was stated by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal during a meeting with the Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"In July, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine sent an updated draft Memorandum to the Vatican. We hope that in September we will receive official approval so that Ukrainian children can finally receive treatment in this hospital. Ukraine has been waiting for this for 7 years," Denys Shmyhal stressed.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Secretary of State of the Holy See also discussed the appointment of representatives in both countries. Thus, Reverend Monsignor Visvaldas Kulbokas was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine. The Head of Government stressed that Ukraine expects his arrival in the near future and, for its part, will make final preparations for the appointment of the Plenipotentiary Representative of Ukraine to the Holy See.

"This will allow us to deepen relations between Ukraine and the Vatican. We believe that an extremely promising area is to expand opportunities for cooperation in the field of culture, in particular, to establish permanent partnerships between museum institutions of our countries," said the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Denys Shmyhal also confirmed the invitation of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to His Holiness, Pope Francis to visit Ukraine, which would be a great opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the visit of His Holiness John Paul II to Ukraine.