Deputy Ukrainian Foreign Minister Oleksandr Mischenko: We are doing everything within our power to ensure that the rights of Romanians in Ukraine are respected

Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister, Oleksandr Mischenko, said on Saturday in Apahida, Cluj County, that the authorities in Kyiv would do everything within their power to ensure that the rights of Romania’s minority in Ukraine are respected.

The statement was made at the opening of Ukraine’s first honorary consulate in Romania. The Ukrainian official emphasized the historical and community ties between the two countries and said that Romanians in Ukraine should feel “at home.” At the same time, Mischenko called for attention to Ukrainian schools in Romania and to the Ukrainian community here.

The official thanked Romania for the support it has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the war and called the country a strategic friend. He described international solidarity as one of the forms of resistance against Russian aggression.

The event was attended by Ukraine’s ambassador to Romania, Ihor Prokopchuk, representatives of the Cluj authorities, the diplomatic community and the Ukrainian community. Honorary Consul Vasile Serioja Ruscovan estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 Ukrainians live in northwestern Romania, although official data may not reflect the actual situation. The ceremony concluded with the national anthems of the two countries and a moment of silence for the victims of the war in Ukraine.