On Tuesday, 31 March 2026, the Media Center of the State Enterprise ‘Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions’ hosted the round table titled Where the Ukrainian Heart Beats: Ukrainian communities in African countries.
The event was organized by the GDIP team with the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Diplomatic Spouses Association, the West Ukrainian National University, the Professor Lubomyr Wynar Institute for the Ukrainian Diaspora Studies of the National University of Ostroh Academy, and the African Studies Center at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
The round table became the third event in a broader series of discussions focused on Ukraine’s engagement with the global Ukrainian community and the role of the diaspora in preserving national identity, shaping a positive image of Ukraine, and supporting the state during the full-scale war.
The aim of the round table was to rethink approaches to Ukraine’s presence in Africa and to create a space for honest and substantive discussion about the activities and potential of Ukrainian communities in African countries, their contribution to supporting Ukraine, as well as to develop ideas for further cooperation between communities, Ukrainian institutions and local partners.
Among the participants were representatives of Ukrainian communities in African countries, Ukrainian diplomats, researchers specializing in the global Ukrainian diaspora, as well as students and lecturers from the Department of Information and Computer Technologies at the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design.
The event was moderated by Romana Kasiianchuk, acting head of the GDIP Media Center, head of the Advertising and Publishing Department; Iryna Ivashchuk, honorary consul of the Republic of Senegal in Ukraine, first deputy director of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine; and Viktoria Ulyhanets, director of the African Studies Center at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Welcoming speeches were delivered by Liubov Abravitova, director of the Department of Africa and Regional African Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Dzvinka Kachur, regional vice-president of the Ukrainian World Congress; and Olena Maksymova, deputy director of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Ukraine.
In her welcoming remarks, Liubov Abravitova emphasized the considerable potential of Ukrainian communities abroad and their role in developing Ukraine’s interaction with African countries. She stressed that these communities are not limited to formalized organizations but represent a broader network of people who preserve and promote Ukrainian identity and culture and help shape a positive perception of Ukraine in the world:
‘Nowadays, as a foreign policy institution, we must devote considerable attention to coordination with Ukrainians abroad. And the “Ukrainian heart”, mentioned in the title of this roundtable, is not only the heart of Ukrainian citizens, but the heart of everyone who stands with us and supports our identity.’
The speaker also referred to the formation of the Ukrainian community in the Republic of South Africa, noting its gradual strengthening and growing influence, and highlighted the potential of such associations as an additional channel of diplomatic communication. Ms Abravitova underscored the need for systematic cooperation between the state and Ukrainian communities in order to develop humanitarian and economic ties on the basis of mutually beneficial partnership.
For her part, Dzvinka Kachur emphasized the leading role of Ukrainian communities as an important instrument for representing and advancing Ukrainian interests abroad. The expert described the Ukrainian World Congress as a global network that unites the diaspora, contributes to the preservation of identity, the development of education and culture, and helps build international support for Ukraine. Ms Kachur also outlined the history of the Ukrainian presence in Africa and the strengthening of its role through the expansion of Ukraine’s diplomatic presence:
‘Alongside the historical track that influenced the formation of Ukrainian communities, the attitude of the Ukrainian state has also changed in defining who Ukrainians abroad are and what role the diaspora plays. We cannot but mention the positive changes in cooperation and in the understanding of the role of the Ukrainian diaspora in shaping global community of Ukrainians and lobbying for Ukrainian interests abroad, including on the African continent.’
During her speech, Dzvinka Kachur stressed the importance of direct dialogue with African countries without intermediaries, the development of cooperation with international institutions, and the analytical and outreach work of communities, as well as the need to counter russian influence and to support Ukrainians abroad both at the state level and through educational and research initiatives.
During the discussion, participants spoke about cultural diplomacy and the preservation of identity, civic engagement and volunteer support for Ukraine during the war, institutional interaction with the state, as well as the potential for cooperation in the economic, educational, and interregional spheres.
Representatives of Ukrainian communities in African countries shared their experience, including Oleksandr Stefanyk (Angola), Oles Berezhnyi (Egypt), Mariia Dotsenko and Iryna Kyianchenko (Kenya), Tetiana Palamarchuk (Mauritius), Viktoriia El Harrak (Morocco), Vita Kharchenko-José (Mozambique), and Yaryna Prokopenko and Nadiia Furykevych (Tunisia).
Representatives of Ukrainian embassies in the region also took an active part in the discussion, including Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Oleksandr Voronin (Algeria), Andrii Kasianov (Angola), Yurii Tokar (Kenya), Vasyl Hamianin (Congo), Rostyslav Tronenko (Mozambique), and Volodymyr Khomanets (Tunisia); Chargés d’Affaires Oleh Kozhushko (Ethiopia) and Maksym Nemyria (Tanzania); as well as Mykola Radchenko, Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine to Morocco.
