This was discussed during the meeting of the head of the Lviv OVA Maksym Kozytskyi with the Latvian delegation led by the Chairman of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Edwards Smiltens.
Maksym Kozytskyi thanked the Latvian delegation for supporting Ukraine in the struggle for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for comprehensive assistance in the international arena in the process of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and NATO.
“Latvia was one of the first to come to the aid of Ukraine at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. The support of the Latvian people and the Government in providing humanitarian, financial and military aid to Ukraine is priceless. Latvia recognized the actions of the Russian invaders as genocide of the Ukrainian people, and Russia itself as a state sponsor of terrorism. This is an incredible step and a great example of support for Ukraine. As for the Lviv region, since the mass rocket attacks on our country’s energy infrastructure, the Latvian charitable foundation has provided Lviv schools, kindergartens and hospitals with generators for uninterrupted work. Tons of humanitarian goods and food for the population are sent through our region to other regions of the country. Latvia also cares about our children. Dozens of children of military personnel and orphans had the opportunity to go to a children’s camp organized in Latvia. Our medical institutions receive considerable humanitarian and technical assistance. These actions demonstrate that Latvia remains a reliable friend of Ukraine in the struggle for its freedom”, – stressed the head of Lviv OVA Maksym Kozytskyi.
By chance, the head of the Lviv region told the foreign party about the urgent needs of the region in view of the situation in the country and the large number of internally displaced persons. Today, more than 250,000 IDPs are officially registered in the region. Every day, evacuation trains and more and more people who need special care and attention continue to arrive here.
Therefore, among the needs of the Lviv region is assistance in ensuring social protection of the most vulnerable categories of the population. We are talking about the creation of geriatric centers and institutions of supported living, since the network of institutions in Lviv Oblast is overcrowded due to the large number of elderly and disabled IDPs.
Lviv OVA has been working for a long time in the direction of renovation of premises that can be used as housing for IDPs, in particular, it is about dormitories of educational institutions. The head of the region also called on the foreign delegation to join the development and arrangement of such premises.
Lviv Oblast is the leader among the regions of Ukraine in terms of the number of relocated businesses. More than 230 enterprises have moved to our region and are working successfully, creating new jobs. The region is ready for closer cooperation with Latvian business in order to attract investments.
Separately, Maksym Kozytskyi informed the Speaker of the Saeima about the opening of Superhumans, a center for providing assistance to victims of Russian aggression, in the Lviv region. The clinic will specialize in prosthetics, rehabilitation and treatment of post-traumatic disorders. The Latvian delegation expressed its readiness to support this project, including providing qualified consultations from the Latvian doctors of the center’s medical staff.
“In April, we visited Ukraine for the first time. At that time, in the eyes of many people, we saw fear for their lives, for their future. During a recent visit to Kyiv and a meeting with the President, we witnessed yet another rocket attack on civilians by Russia. I want to note that instead of fear, people had a thirst for struggle, and this is quite impressive. I must say that Ukraine helped Latvia unite. We have never been so united in our desire to separate from everything Russian. But most of all, we are united by the dream of the great Victory of Ukraine. We sincerely cheer for you when you win back your territories, we sincerely sympathize when we learn about another atrocities by the occupiers, as was the case in the Dnipro the day before. Today we are in Lviv to study the needs of the region, because we know that there are many internally displaced people. For our part, we are ready to join any projects. This is our small contribution for what Ukraine is doing for the whole civilized world,” said the Chairman of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia, Edwards Smiltens.
Latvia is one of those countries whose support for Ukraine as a percentage of GDP is one of the largest over the past year. It is also one of the leading countries providing military aid to Ukraine.
Latvian Defense Minister Inara Murniece said on January 10 that the possibility of sending a new batch of military aid to Ukraine, including the Stinger air defense system, is being considered. This was also confirmed today by the Chairman of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia.
“We have provided military aid, military equipment worth more than 300 million euros – these are howitzers, drones, and other things, such as equipment for military personnel. This is a third of Latvia’s military budget, which puts us in a leading position among countries in proportion to the volume of GDP in terms of aid to Ukraine,” said Edwards Smiltens.