More than 1,600 Ukrainians were released from prison abroad after the intervention of Ukrainian consuls, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said. "These are the stories that did not make it into the news and social networks, but these are specific rescued destinies of Ukrainians and reunited families," Kuleba said in a speech at a conference of heads of foreign diplomatic institutions.

He said that the Foreign Ministry has something to boast about in 2020, in particular, Ukraine received the status of the Enhanced Opportunities Partners of NATO, together with Poland and Lithuania, Ukraine created the Lublin Triangle, the International Criminal Court in The Hague stated sufficient grounds to start an official investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Crimea and Donbas amid Russian aggression.

"The historic Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Free Trade Area between Ukraine and the UK has been signed and already ratified by Ukraine and almost ratified by the UK. The FTA Agreement with Israel will enter into force soon (all procedures are completed). A qualitatively new strategic partnership with Turkey has been achieved. For the first time in 70 years of membership, a representative of Ukraine headed the Danube Commission. Vitaliy Markiv returned home. In addition to him, we returned from prisons from all over the world 30 citizens from such very resonant well-known cases that got on the news pages," the foreign minister said.

He said that the Foreign Ministry has completely rebooted the promotion of Ukrainian exports abroad and attraction of investments to Ukraine. "We carried out a large digitalization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We liberalized the visa policy, opening Ukraine to the world, and made our services for Ukrainian citizens abroad more convenient by introducing an electronic queue at the consulates. For the first time, Ukraine made a purchase in the NATO procurement system," he said.

In addition, Kuleba said that it was thanks to the support and actions of Ukrainian diplomats that more than 250,000 Ukrainians were able to return home under lockdown conditions introduced around the world this spring.

"There were cases when diplomats spent the night at airports, and the only flights that landed at those closed airports were flights of Ukrainian planes. Since Ukrainian diplomats agreed to open the way for Ukrainians home. We also helped bring tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. But, having all these results, we are facing even greater challenges," he said.