Тимчасовий повірений у справах Ігор Головченко взяв участь онлайн у регіональному семінарі "Солідарність і партнерство з Україною", організованому в м. Ліндал неурядовою організацією "Support to the People of Ukraine".

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Dear participants,

Thank you for the opportunity to share some thoughts on the prospects for cooperation between Ukraine and Norway at the regional level.

During the 4 months I have spent in Norway as a Ukrainian diplomat, I have a strong impression that Norwegians are ready to help Ukrainians at all levels - government, business, local authorities, and society. My country's efforts to resist Russian aggression remain in the center of Norway's attention even though the war has been going on for almost two years.

I never tire of thanking the Norwegian people for all the support provided to Ukraine and Ukrainians. We have a long way to go to victory, and friends and allies like Norway are very important to us on this path.

We have achieved a lot in these two years. We have liberated more than half of the territories seized by Russian troops since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. We have destroyed hundreds of thousands of occupants, tens of thousands of pieces of heavy equipment, hundreds of air defense systems, airplanes, and helicopters. We have expelled Russian warships from the Black Sea and restored civilian shipping.

But we are still facing a huge military machine. This machine kills Ukrainians every day, destroys our infrastructure, and razes entire cities to the ground. Last Friday and this Tuesday, Russia carried out huge, combined missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities, leaving more than forty civilians killed and hundreds wounded.

We have to rebuild critical infrastructure on the fly, demine the liberated settlements, and provide social and medical services. And this is where Norwegian municipalities can provide invaluable assistance.

Today in Oslo it is almost minus 20. In Lyngdal, it's a bit warmer. Imagine that today you return home and find no electricity, heat, hot water, or communication there. Imagine living, working, and spending time with your family in these conditions.

This is exactly what the regions of Ukraine suffering from Russian artillery and missile attacks look like. These are the terrorist methods used by the Russian army against civilians to intimidate Ukrainians and force us to stop resisting.

And it is precisely to the support of critical infrastructure that we must direct our main efforts, counting on the assistance by our partners. Generators, batteries, medical equipment - everything that can support the civilian population in these conditions is much appreciated. I believe the Deputy Mayor of Kryvyi Rih would describe what a frontline city looks like and what its biggest needs are much better than I can.

Ukraine is a modern European country. Even now, during a full-scale war, we have a functioning economy, banking system, law enforcement, education, and medical system. In the nearly two years of war, we have learned to cope with most challenges stemming from the Russian invasion. By solving the most problematic issues that remain, we can continue to successfully confront an enemy like Russia.

Effective and well-thought-out solutions are the key to our common success. There are many examples.

If you have unnecessary but working computer equipment, such as laptops or tablets, you do not need to send them for recycling. Instead, send it to Ukraine, to schoolchildren who are forced to study at home or in bomb shelters due to constant shelling or destroyed schools. This way you will both save the environment and help those who need it most.

If you do not know whether your potential assistance will be useful, please contact us at the Humanitarian Coordination Center at the Embassy. We will check the lists of needs and respond to orient you. We are ready to help with paperwork and logistics.

If you want to help a particular school, hospital, or settlement in general, please write to us and we will try to establish direct communication.

I am sure that together we will be able to overcome all the challenges caused by the Russian war of aggression.

Thank you for your attention.