Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha has introduced the new head of the Ministry's Consular Service Department, Oleksandr Haman, who previously headed the Consulate General of Ukraine in Istanbul and the Embassy of Ukraine in Vietnam, to the department staff.
"I have set a clear task: to continue building a modern consular service focused primarily on the current and pressing needs of Ukrainians abroad. The main priority is to make receiving consular services as simple as possible. Less bureaucracy and personal visits, more digital solutions and remote services. To achieve this, we must continue reviewing the regulatory framework, removing outdated procedures, and making broader use of automation," Sybiha wrote on the social network Facebook.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring that, regardless of the country they are in, Ukrainians can count on accessible consular services, proper treatment, and assistance from their state.
"A separate task is the protection of the rights and interests of our citizens. Every instance of biased treatment, discrimination, or other negative manifestations towards Ukrainians abroad must receive a proper and timely response from our diplomatic missions. These are concrete tasks for the Consular Service Department and all our foreign diplomatic missions. I will keep the results of this work under my personal control," the minister stressed.
He thanked the department's staff for their daily work and assistance to our citizens in various parts of the world.
"Today, more than 8 million Ukrainians are abroad. Accordingly, both the scale and nature of the consular service's work have changed. It must adapt to the new needs of our citizens and the challenges they face abroad. It is important to continue ensuring reliable support for our citizens abroad," Sybiha noted.
He also separately thanked Vladyslav Kanevsky, who previously headed the Consular Service Department, for his years of work and the many important changes that were successfully implemented during his tenure.
