Vice-consulate of Ukraine opens in Rzeszów, Poland

The official opening ceremony of the consular office was attended by, among others, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and representatives of the authorities of Rzeszów and the Podkarpackie Voivodeship of the Republic of Poland, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

“We are opening a consulate in a special city - Rzeszów,” Sybiha said during the opening.

According to him, the opening of the consulate will contribute to the development of interpersonal contacts, relations between Ukrainian and Polish regions, as well as Ukrainian-Polish relations in general.

Sybiha reminded that this is already the sixth consular office of Ukraine in Poland. According to him, many Ukrainians have found temporary shelter in Poland, and therefore the opening of this consular office will help Ukrainians staying in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship to receive proper consular assistance.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister emphasized that the Podkarpackie Voivodeship and Rzeszów have become “a lifeline — the largest hub through which aid from allies is sent to Ukraine.” He also encouraged Polish businesses to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine. 

In turn, the governor of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Teresa Kubas-Hul, noted that the opening of the consulate is a “special day” for Ukrainian-Polish relations.

“Thanks to the opening of this consular office, contacts between Ukraine and Poland will become even closer and more intensive... The opening of the office will simplify many processes and accelerate the implementation of many joint projects,” the voivode emphasized. 

Representatives of the authorities of Rzeszów and the Sejmik of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship also addressed the participants of the event. 

The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry presented special awards – “Amber Hearts” – to the authorities of the city of Rzeszów and the governor of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Teresa Kubas-Hul, for their support and assistance to Ukraine. 

There are currently six Ukrainian consular offices operating in Poland: consulates general in Lublin, Krakow, and Wroclaw, a consulate in Gdansk, a consular section in Warsaw, and, as of today, a vice-consulate in Rzeszów. In addition, Ukraine has nine honorary consulates in Poland.

Read also: Fighter jets scrambled in Poland due to Russia’s missile strike on Ukraine

As reported by Ukrinform, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs of Poland Krzysztof Gawkowski said in a comment to the agency that Warsaw is effectively combating anti-Ukrainian disinformation spread by Russian bots and trolls in the Polish information space. Poland will continue to provide assistance to Ukraine and study the experience of building the country's resilience in wartime. 

Ukraine and Poland have agreed that teams of epidemiologists from both countries will conduct joint training exercises on the border starting next year.

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