On March 19, the head of the ANTS Network for the Protection of National Interests took part in the regional forum on the Restoration and Modernization of Ukraine held in Kryvyi Rih.
It is worth noting that the organizer of this forum was the NGO “Association of Responsible Citizens” headed by Yuliy Morozov. During the meeting, those present discussed the plan to restore Ukraine after the victory.
Hanna Hopko congratulated all the participants of the event and emphasized that the global leadership of Ukraine and its moral authority should be not only thanks to the sacrifice of the Armed Forces, but also because the country knows where to go and leads the world.
“Ukraine needs to look more broadly, in addition to membership in the EU and NATO, we need to think about how to integrate into a wider coalition of states that have state-of-the-art technologies and whose technologies will determine the future. Considering the fact that Ukraine has sufficiently powerful reserves of critical minerals, it is important that we are not just considered a donor of raw materials, but that we become part of the industry, she said during her online speech. – Now there is a struggle with authoritarian states that want to have access to critical minerals. Therefore, it is important for us not only to be a member of the EU and NATO, but also to integrate into the world of advanced technologies. As an example, I will cite such countries as Taiwan and South Korea.”
Also, the head of “ANTS” emphasized that Ukraine needs specialists who will understand the theory and practice of European integration.
“When in Kyiv we met with the leadership of the European People’s Party, which is one of the largest parties in the European Parliament. They immediately asked us the question of whether we have 5,000 people who will be able to implement European integration. That is why we started the project of European studies. ANTS European Studies is a unique approach to educating promising Ukrainian youth, immersing students in the theory and practice of European integration. It consists of a combination of lectures by leading European and Ukrainian experts, intellectuals and practitioners, recorded in Bohdan Gavrylyshyn’s apartment, from which a distance learning course is formed on an open educational platform, and further live meetings of the most successful students in a face-to-face format with lecturers. The value of this combination lies in the listeners’ in-depth and step-by-step understanding of the specifics of the work of European institutions, their effectiveness, their connections with national management systems, EU budget and fiscal procedures, as well as the activities of various markets, innovation ecosystems, the latest developments in the fields of defense and security, etc.’’
A few more important quotes from the speech:
- “While I was at the Ukraine-France forum and spent almost a week in Washington, I heard many questions concerning democracy in the middle of the country. There were questions, in particular, about the latest corruption scandals, there were questions about stability in the middle and protection of all gains after the revolution of dignity, especially regarding anti-corruption. There were questions, and those related to the risks of rolling back our achievements and such attempts to control everything in Ukraine in wartime conditions. Therefore, it seems to me that the forum in Kryvyi Rih is very important in order to give an honest answer: what is happening in Ukraine now, what trends do we see as threatening, what risks and obstacles are on the way, so that after the victory over Russia, Ukraine will also become an exporter of successful transformation, the country dignity with strong institutions… I believe in the real leadership of Ukraine as a subject of geopolitics.”
- “Now everyone in the world admires the courage of the Armed Forces. But I really want Ukraine to be known not only from the position of “Be brave like Ukraine”, but also as a modern country, taking into account the developments that we have established already during the war. Now our moral authority in the world is thanks to the courage of the Armed Forces, the sacrifice, the price we pay. But if we talk about the victory of Ukraine not only as a defeat of Russia, but also as a victory in the future, then it is very important for us now that we do not miss certain offensives and threats that exist.”
- Negotiations on EU membership should be opened in 2023. Our “ANTS” network, like the International Center for Ukrainian Victory, after the country’s acquisition of candidate status, continues to work to ensure that membership negotiations are opened this year. This is important, because 2024 will be a difficult and politicized year, considering that there will be presidential elections in both the USA and the EU. This can create many obstacles for us.
It is worth noting that the forum gathered almost 200 people: young and older people, officials and public figures.
