Crown Prince of Norway visited VMU Centre of Ukraine

On 3 April, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway visited the Centre of Ukraine at the Education Academy of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) in Vilnius, where he met with the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė, and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Lithuania, Petro Beshta. During the meeting, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway was introduced to the activities of the VMU Centre of Ukraine.

During the visit, the children’s choir “Mrija” welcomed the distinguished guests with a musical performance. Crown Prince Haakon also had the opportunity to visit the exhibition “Helsinki to Kyiv: Back to the Future”, currently on display at the VMU Centre of Ukraine, to learn about the Centre’s various activities, and engage with its visitors.

The First Lady of Lithuania, Mrs Nausėdienė, drew the attention of the Crown Prince of Norway to the fact that the VMU Centre of Ukraine is prepared to expand its network of international partners and implement new initiatives and activities. Norway’s substantial experience in assisting refugees globally could greatly benefit Ukrainians who have found refuge in Lithuania. Therefore, the First Lady invited Norwegian non-governmental organisations to forge links with the VMU Centre of Ukraine.

Vilma Bijeikienė, VMU Vice-Rector for Communication, and Petro Beshta, Ambassador of Ukraine to Lithuania, expressed their gratitude to the Crown Prince of Norway for his visit and support of the VMU Centre for Ukraine and discussed the Centre’s planned future activities.

The VMU Centre of Ukraine, established at VMU Education Academy in Vilnius on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, aims to create an open space for culture, education, and community services for the Ukrainian community in Lithuania. The Centre was founded in cooperation with the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus University, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Lithuania.