President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered the preparation of systemic changes to how Ukrainian diplomats are rotated, saying ambassadors must speak the language of their host country, know its culture and maintain constant contact with Ukraine.
"I’m asking for systemic solutions to be prepared that can change this. If there are rotations at Ukraine’s embassy in Germany, people need German… In France, that means knowing French… In Arab countries, we need to find people interested in the Arab world, its culture, traditions, and who know the language," Zelenskyy said at the annual meeting of ambassadors in Kyiv on Monday.
The president also called for ambassadors’ input to be taken into account more often during personnel rotations and for diplomats’ experience to be properly used after they return to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian diplomats should visit Ukraine regularly and better understand the realities of life in the country during the war. "Every Ukrainian ambassador should feel what it’s like at the front, what it’s like in a frontline community, what recovery after shelling is like," he said.
