On September 25, 2019, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Lebanese Republic hosted a solemn reception on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the Independence Day of Ukraine. The event was attended by representatives from the President of Lebanon – H.E. Mr. Ghassan Atallah, Minister of Displaced, from the Parliament Speaker – H.E. Mr. Michel Moussa, Head of the Lebanese-Ukrainian Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, from the Prime Minister – H.E. Mr. Sami Fatfat, the member of Parliament. Among the guests there also were members of Parliament H.E. Mr. Bilal Abdallah and H.E. Mr. Chamel Roukoz, mayors of Lebanese cities, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants and other Ministries, diplomatic corps, international organizations, clergy, scientists and representatives of culture, Ukrainian community, Ukrainian University Alumni Club in Lebanon, representatives of business and mass media.
H.E. Mr. Ihor Ostash, the Ambassador of Ukraine in Lebanon, addressed the participants of the event. In his speech, he confirmed the irreversibility of the Ukrainian people’s aspirations to build the free European and democratic state, informed about the ongoing struggle of Ukraine with the Russian aggressor and the recent release of Kremlin prisoners, including the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and Ukrainian sailors, as well as about strong relations between two friendly Ukrainian and Lebanese peoples. The Ambassador of Ukraine presented special awards and diplomas for from the Embassy of Ukraine for contribution into development of Ukrainian-Lebanese relations to Mr. Antoine Helou, President of Baabda-Louaize Municipality, Mr. Wissam Zaarour, President of Jbail-Byblos Municipality, Mr. Joseph Maalouf, President of Douma Municipality, Mr. Nabil Eid Wehbe, Lebanese sculptor, and Mr. Karim El Andary, President of the Lebanese Armwrestling Federation.
The participants of the reception were greeted by bright performances of Ukrainian folk band “Onuky” and Ukrainian singer Anna Matar. And the highlights of the event were undoubtedly Ukrainian traditional dishes made by our craftswomen Natalia Kurdy and Kateryna El-Dahabi.
During the event, the guests got acquainted with a photo exhibition "Ukrainian Donbas seen by Lebanese and Ukrainian" by photographers Olexandr Klymenko and Bassam Lahoud, dedicated to the situation in the East of Ukraine in connection with the Russian aggression.