80 students from different parts of Ukraine gathered in the capital, where the 3rd Youth Model of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly started. Today, the participants modeled how the Parliamentary Assembly works and had the opportunity to feel like a delegate of a specific country or a representative of an organization.
“The III Youth Model of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is taking place for the third time. Today, young people from more than 40 higher education institutions of Ukraine are in the session hall of the KMDA. We thank the diplomats who took the time to visit and understand that we will have to work with young people in the future,” said Oksana Yurynets, project manager of the III Youth Model of the NATO PA and People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the VIII convocation, Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the NATO PA in 2018-2019, and professor of the Department of Foreign Trade and Customs of Lviv Polytechnic National 
University.
We will you remind that during the lecture part in May, the students discussed many topical issues of today: the structure of NATO, the functional duties of the President of the NATO PA, the energy component of security, strategic communications, and interparliamentary diplomacy; the economic front of Ukraine; the role of the United States in strengthening the security and the role of Great Britain in the activities of the Parliamentary Assembly. All these lectures enabled the participants to gain new knowledge, which they will need during the final simulation of the event.
Vitali Klychko, Kyiv Mayor congratulated the participants of the project and, in his address, emphasized the importance of the initiatives of the young generation.
“A lot depends on the youth. In a few years, the future of our country will be in your hands: some of you will become soldiers, some will become diplomats or engineers, etc. You are citizens of Ukraine, and you should build a European country where human rights are a key component, he said. Ukraine has many challenges, so unity is important today. Remember when I used to box? I know one thing: each finger is strong enough, and if all those fingers are combined into a fist, that strength will be much better and stronger. Together, we are much stronger, and now unity around Ukraine is the key to restoring peace both in our country and in Europe.”
Polish Ambassador Bartosz Szychowski wished Ukrainian youth to become those who would win peace for the whole world.
“I wish you to become the youth who will not agree to agreements and concessions, but become the youth who will create a chance to build the country so that no aggressor dares to attack Ukraine. The win a war is one thing, but the win peace is another and more difficult thing. I wish that your generation will win peace for us all.”
Mykhailo Gonchar, President of the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”, noted that the pulsating energy of the Ukrainian youth should be applied to the formation of not only the shield of Ukraine but also the sword of Ukraine.
“NATO is wonderful. I think we will be a member of NATO. But NATO is not perfect. Nothing is perfect;
paraphrasing Winston Churchill’s saying about democracy, we can say: You know the Alliance is imperfect, but there is nothing better.”
US Army Europe Advisor for russia and Eurasia Mark Voyger, who was one of the speakers during the lectures, said in his address to the students:
“I want to talk about the importance of Ukraine’s struggle for independence against russia’s barbaric efforts and against the kremlin’s terrorist regime. This is important not only for the future of Ukraine but also for the future of the free world.”
He also emphasized that putin made a huge mistake by sending an army of slaves against a nation of free people.
Hanna Hopko, head of the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS”, emphasized that thanks to new knowledge and experience, project participants have the opportunity to strengthen the Alliance in the future.
“The biggest and most valuable capital of Ukraine is its people. And training young people who will strengthen NATO in the future is not an easy task.”
She noted that currently the biggest expectation is that at the summit in Vilnius, Ukraine will be told that they are invited to join.
“And that the door is not just open, but we are given all the documents.”
Hopko emphasized that Ukraine will win without a doubt:
“We don’t agree to any peace agreements. We believe in the success of the Armed Forces and the counteroffensive, which will be followed by the liberation of Crimea. Now is the time for a historic Victory and thanks to the support of our strategic partners and allies, this victory will come.”
After the official part, the youth not only modeled the work of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly but also called for a positive response to Ukraine’s aspirations to become a NATO member at the summit in Vilnius in July.
It is worth noting that “ANTS” is implementing a youth platform for the third time, designed to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic orientation of Ukraine by providing proactive youth with knowledge and skills related to the modern challenges of European integration during the martial law period.
During the month, the participants of the III Youth Model attended a course of lectures, the guest speakers of which were:
- Olga Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration
- Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union, People’s Deputy of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the PA NATO 2014-2016
- Madeleine Moon, NATO PA President 2018-2019
- Vineta Kleine, Director of the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine
- Mark Voyger, adviser to the US Army in Europe on russia and Eurasia
- Hanna Hopko, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (2014-2019)
- Solomiia Bobrovska, People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the 9th convocation
- Mykhailo Gonchar, President of the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”
- Anastasia Stasiuk, Secretary of the Permanent Delegation to the PA NATO
- Lyudmila Dolgonovska, Head of the Office of the President of the American University in Kyiv
- Rostyslav Tistyk, People’s Deputy of Ukraine
- Maksym Kyiak, Senior employee of the Institute named after Kurasa
- Marianna Fakhurdinova, Ambassador of European youth, expert of the analytical center New Europe
- Yaroslav Sydorovych, expert of the project “russian Assets as the Source to Restore of the Ukrainian Economy”
- Oksana Yurynets, project manager of the III Youth Model of the NATO PA and People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the VIII convocation, Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the NATO PA 2018-2019, professor of the Department of Medical Sciences of the Lviv Polytechnic National University.
During this month, the students discussed many current issues – the structure of NATO, the functional duties of the President of the NATO PA, the energy component of security, strategic communications and inter-parliamentary diplomacy, the economic front of Ukraine, the role of the USA in strengthening the security component and Great Britain in the activities of the Parliamentary Assembly. All these lectures enabled the participants to gain new knowledge, which they will need during the final simulation of the event.
The project is carried out with the support of the NATO Information and Documentation Center and of the National Interests Advocacy Network “ANTS”.
