The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, travelled to Ukraine today to assess the impact of the Russia's aggression on Ukrainian territory, and to reiterate Spain's support to the country's authorities, also announcing the delivery of an additional €10 million in humanitarian aid.
Albares, who returned to Ukraine on Tuesday 28 January for the third time since Putin started the war, began his trip in Lviv with an agenda including political and diplomatic support to the Ukrainian Government, humanitarian and reconstruction aid for the Ukrainian people, and protection of the country's heritage and culture.
In this spirit, Albares opened a cultural centre created thanks to the Spain-UNESCO Trust Fund for Development Cooperation alongside his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, and the UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay. This centre, funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, was designed to serve as a space specifically dedicated to culture as a factor for peace and resilience in the war and post-war context in Ukraine, a country whose cultural productive fabric has lost 90% of its resources as a result of the war unleashed by the Russian invasion.
This centre contributes to Spain's comprehensive commitment to Ukraine's recovery, which today resulted in a new announcement of €10 million in humanitarian aid from Spanish Cooperation, on top of the €100 million that Spain has delivered to Ukraine since the war began. In addition to this humanitarian aid, Spanish reconstruction aid has also totalled €400 million since the beginning of the Russian aggression.
Medical trainers
Spain's solidarity with Ukraine, over and above financial support, was also highlighted during Minister Albares' visit to the hospital in Lviv, where he announced that Spain will send a Spanish team of medical trainers to help the Ukrainian hospital staff with their training.
The encounter with his Ukrainian counterpart in Lviv allowed him to hold a bilateral meeting to analyse the current situation together, during which Albares reiterated Spain's support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. This support is reflected in the fulfilment of the bilateral military aid commitments with Ukraine that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenski, agreed last year, with the delivery of military equipment and the training of Ukrainian military personnel in Spain within the framework of the European EUAM mission, with nearly 7,000 military personnel trained.
EU accession
During the meeting with Sybiha, Albares also reiterated support for the process of accession to the European Union, which began during the Spanish Presidency of the EU, after reminding him that Spain has always decisively backed this accession. The minister also strongly emphasised Spain’s continued support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, noting that no peace can be agreed for Ukraine without Ukraine, nor European security without Europe.
During his working day, the minister also visited the cemetery in Lviv, where he paid tribute to the fallen. He visited the historic centre of the Ukrainian city in the company of the UNESCO Director-General and the Ukrainian Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, and Culture, Mykola Tochytsky. He also held a bilateral meeting with the latter. Additionally, Albares had time to visit the FestRepúblik art space.
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