12:30 15.12.2017

Kyiv hosts first national forum 'DonbasTalks' dedicated to IDPs

2 min read

The first national forum entitled "DonbasTalks: The History of Those Who Create the Future" has been held in Kyiv. The project brought together residents of eastern Ukraine who left their homes after the beginning of the war and again achieved success.

"About 1.7 million people were forced to leave their homes, their families and leave the occupied territories because of the war. Today's event, which we organized together with the Parliamentary Platform for the Future of Donbas inter-factional group, the Council of Europe and the UN, is very important to them. The example of the participants in the forum can inspire them, help them give a worthy response to new challenges in life. I am convinced that IDPs can create a new history based on successful experience. This applies to ordinary people and those who lost their business there," a co-chairman of the Parliamentary Platform for the Future of Donbas, MP Serhiy Taruta, said during the forum.

Together with him, the event was opened by Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Morten Enberg, Deputy Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Ivane Bochorishvili and editor-in-chief of the Ukrayinska Pravda e-zine Sevgil Musayeva.

Enberg said that the Council of Europe and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine had developed a new cooperation plan to help IDPs from Donbas and Crimea. The plan will be launched as early as 2018.

The second national forum "DonbasTalks" is to be held next year. Participants and organizers hope to discuss strategies for the restoration of the completely Ukrainian Donbas.

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