On Wednesday, 3 December 2025, the Media Center of the State Enterprise ‘Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions’ hosted the presentation of the twenty-sixth issue of the Diplomatic Ukraine scientific yearbook along with GDIP’s branded publications.

This remarkable diplomatic and academic event brought together representatives of the embassies of Albania, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, the Order of Malta, Montenegro, Pakistan, Palestine, Slovakia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as honorary consuls of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Ukraine and Senegal in Ternopil, Ukrainian diplomats, scholars from various countries, civil society activists, students and the press.

Inna Khomenska, PhD in Philology and Head of the Media Center Directorate, moderated the event. She welcomed the guests and expressed her gratitude to the Ukrainian warriors defending Ukraine’s skies, thanks to whom this presentation could take place.

The event commenced with welcoming remarks from Yevhen Perebyinis, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and Pavlo Kryvonos, GDIP Director-General, Second-Class Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Yevhen Perebyinis congratulated the Directorate-General’s team on the successful publication of the new issue of Diplomatic Ukraine, highlighting the well-established tradition of presenting this important source of diplomatic knowledge in early December.

‘The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is very proud to be a partner in this publication, which serves as a chronicle of Ukrainian diplomacy and a kind of laboratory of diplomatic thought. The scientific yearbook represents an aggregation of experiences, as it features contributions from veterans of the diplomatic service, diplomats who carry the institutional memory of how Ukraine’s diplomacy was established and developed; and it also captures the contemporary Ukrainian diplomatic know-how, as Ukraine today is an innovative state in terms of diplomacy and is compelled to conduct it in wartime conditions.’

In his welcome address, Pavlo Kryvonos expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian service members for the opportunity to continue this work despite the ongoing war and honoured the memory of those who had fallen. He also paid tribute to Anatolii Denysenko, the inspirer, founder of the idea, and long-standing editor-in-chief of the yearbook, and underlined the importance of Diplomatic Ukraine as a platform for professional debate and international cooperation.

‘It is a particular honour for us that the 26th issue of the Diplomatic Ukraine scientific yearbook opens with an article by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, titled “From the Strength of Diplomacy to the Diplomacy of Strength”. The publication also features contributions from 30 authors. The hallmark of Diplomatic Ukraine has always been, and will remain, the articles and interviews with representatives of the Ukrainian and foreign diplomatic corps. This year, 20 diplomats contributed to the publication. […] I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the authors who help advance scholarly discussions on geopolitics in the modern world, russia’s war against Ukraine, and the history of international relations and diplomacy.’

GDIP Director-General also presented the enterprise’s branded publications, including the Square Kilometers of Life calendar, the corporate diary, and the Diplomatic Corps directory, and highlighted the active work of the Media Center throughout the year.

To mark this significant occasion for Ukraine’s academic and diplomatic community, and as a testament to the strong international support for our country, formal remarks were also delivered by representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps, namely Antonio Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps; Ernal Filo, Ambassador of Albania; Elena Leticia Mikusinski, Ambassador of Argentina; Seymur Mardaliyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan; Luc Jacobs, Ambassador of Belgium; Tolezhan Barlybayev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan; and Boryanka Simićević, Ambassador of Montenegro.

In his speech, Antonio Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone highlighted the importance, professionalism, and competence of GDIP, emphasising the significance of the scientific yearbook as a platform for the exchange of experience:

‘For us, diplomats, especially in such a difficult and prolonged period, it is crucial to have such an important point of reference in this country. The publication of this diplomatic yearbook represents a key moment in this collaboration, as it reflects the continuous exchange of information and experience. Thanks to Diplomatic Ukraine, we can get to know each other better, broaden our perspectives, and create wider synergies.’

The role and reputation of the Diplomatic Ukraine scientific yearbook were emphasised in the welcoming remarks delivered by Ukrainian ambassadors, veterans of the diplomatic service and scholars, namely Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Volodymyr Ohryzko, Oleksandr Motsyk, Borys Humeniuk; Liubov Abravitova, Director of the Department of Africa and Regional African Organizations at the MFA of Ukraine and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of South Africa (2020–25); Volodymyr Buhrov, Rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; and Eduard Balashov, Rector of the National University of Ostroh Academy.

Speaking about the significance of the publication during the russian-Ukrainian war and the challenges diplomats are facing today, Liubov Abravitova stressed that Ukrainian diplomacy is actively working across the globe, including in Africa, to defend the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens:

‘I hope this publication will continue to reveal the potential of our diplomacy and serve as a platform for friendship that exists not only between states but also between the institutions that work to uphold it.’

Following the official remarks, a diplomatic reception took place, offering guests an opportunity to exchange impressions. To conclude the ceremony, participants traditionally received the GDIP calendar and other branded products from the enterprise as gifts.