Visit by the Ambassador of Ukraine
On Monday, December 8, the Province of Fryslân and the municipality of Opsterland will welcome the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Andriy Kostin. The visit is aimed at strengthening mutual relations, knowledge exchange, and Fryslân's humanitarian efforts for Ukraine.
Reception at the Provincial Government Building
The ambassador will be welcomed in the morning at the Provincial Government Building in Leeuwarden. There he will speak with King's Commissioner Arno Brok, Deputy Friso Douwstra, and Alderman Jonkman (Opsterland).
Visit to Opsterland
In Beetsterzwaag, the ambassador will be welcomed by Mayor Andries Bouwman and the other members of the municipal executive. This will be followed by a meeting with, among others, the delegation from the Ukrainian municipality of Nedryhailiv (Sumy region), which is spending a week visiting Opsterland. The program in Beetsterzwaag will conclude with a recital by municipal poet Adri de Boer.
Humanitarian efforts in Fryslân
During the visit, the ambassador will meet various local organizations and volunteers who have been committed to helping Ukraine for many years. Among them are Oksana and Pavlo Osypenko, Ukrainian residents of Opsterland who have organized several fundraising campaigns and transports of relief supplies.
In addition, the ambassador will meet representatives of Hope4Ukraine and visit the Friese Rijders in Haulerwijk in the afternoon. Since 2022, this volunteer organization has grown into one of the largest humanitarian aid initiatives in the Netherlands, with regular transports to hospitals, orphanages, and affected communities in Ukraine.
