"As an embassy, we are witnessing the successful integration of Ukrainian citizens in Bulgaria and the development of their own business on their part. Solid investments also come from Ukraine. These are common success stories and proof of the advantages and opportunities for the development of the Bulgarian economy". Olesya Ilashchuk, the ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria, said this to journalists in Burgas.
She added that current statistics show that there are currently more than 52,000 Ukrainian citizens in Bulgaria who have received the status of temporary protection. More than 14,000 of them work and are practically taxpayers in Bulgaria, BTA specified. According to her, the number of Ukrainians who arrived in Bulgaria after the start of the Russian war on February 24, 2022 exceeded a million.
There are about 8,000 Ukrainians in Burgas who have the status of temporary protection, and in general, their number in the region is between 15,000 and 18,000, according to the embassy's data regarding the Burgas region.
At each stage of adaptation and integration of Ukrainian displaced persons, new tasks and challenges appear, but it should be noted that after February 2022, very good decisions have been made to regulate these problems, and at the highest level, starting from the parliament, added the ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria.
According to her, the results of teamwork in the educational field are extremely positive. This is the reason for the increase in the number of Ukrainian children integrated into the Bulgarian education system.
"I am very happy with the positive examples in which Ukrainians find work and can successfully realize themselves and be useful not only in Burgas, but also in the whole of Bulgaria. I am happy when I hear about talented Ukrainian children who, with creativity or in sports, give pride to the local government. All these successes are ours in common and demonstrate how close we are. Mutual aid is a common code in the mentality of both Bulgarians and Ukrainians," Ilashchuk also said.
She commented that Ukraine is grateful for all kinds of humanitarian and technical assistance that Bulgaria provides to the country. This supports the moral determination of Ukrainians to fight the unjust aggression and genocide by the Russian occupiers, added Ilashchuk.
"For us, the war does not stop for a moment. Even at this point, she continues. There is not a single place in Ukraine that is 100 percent protected from enemy missiles and drones. They kill peaceful people, obliterate cities and villages, turning them into ruins. Our needs for partner assistance in the face of ongoing war are not diminishing and have long been known to all our partners. We need equipment and weapons and all means of air defense to defend our country. This process of assistance should be continuous and should even be strengthened," the diplomat said and added: "Aid for the defense of Ukraine is not charity, but an investment in the defense of NATO's eastern flank. This is an investment for the prevention of aggression against the countries in Eastern Europe."
In Burgas, she attended the official opening of "Days of Ukrainian Cuisine" in the Ethnographic Museum together with the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Burgas Dimitar Karanenov. The event is part of the latest initiative of the local Regional History Museum "The language of the kitchen: diplomacy, history, culture", and other official guests included the regional governor Prof. Maria Neikova, the deputy minister of education, health, social activities and youth politicians Mihail Nenov and the director of the museum Dr. Milen Nikolov.