On 5 November 2013, Lviv was visited by Extraordinary and Plenipotential Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden Andreas von Beckerath who recently entered this post and shows sincere desire to deeply comprehend current situation in Ukraine and define the most effective ways of Swedish-Ukrainian cooperation. Within his official visit the Ambassador had a number of meetings, in particular with a vice-governor of Lviv region where he discussed ways of promoting Swedish investments into the economy of Ukraine. As the most promising spheres of cooperation were defined agricultural complex, energy saving technologies and tourism development. Ukraine’s Euro integration aspirations were the subject of a discussion during the meeting of the Ambassador with administration and students of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. The Ambassador answered students’ questions and also encouraged the youth to travel a lot, get new experience, learn languages and remember their roots, return to their native country to implement their experience in practice.
The Ambassador of Sweden participated in opening the exhibition “Plus 1°С. Climate changes in the language of cartoonists”. The collection of works of Scandinavian cartoonists travels to various countries and is complemented with works of cartoonists from these countries. In this way authors of the project are trying to draw the public’s attention to problems of climate change.
The Ambassador of Sweden also met representatives of International public interest environmental law organization Environment-People-Law (EPL). The discussion was about major environmental problems in Ukraine and ways of improving current situation with application of the rule of law principle and access to justice. Sweden as European leader in implementing environmentally friendly technologies and developing environmental education for citizens is striving to provide any possible assistance to Ukraine in its desire to introduce European standards of environmental safety. In Ukraine there are many spheres such as waste management, development of energy efficient technologies, financial stimulation of economizing resources, environmental education and awareness-raising, building legal culture where Swedish experience is really valuable. Participants of the meeting also focused on the role of environmental NGOs in environmental protection and ways of strengthening their participation in developing environmental democracy, perspectives of EPL’s cooperation with Swedish International Development Agency to save the environment for future generations.
Prepared by:
Hanna Khomechko
Development director of EPL
Olena Kravchenko
Executive director of EPL
Email: office@epl.org.ua
tel.: (032) 225 – 76 – 82
