President Petro Poroshenko called on the Ukrainian youth to take advantage of the opportunities of free access to the EU countries to gain new opportunities for education, science, comprehend European experience and lifestyle. The Head of State told this during his participation in the youth forum: “The opinion of the youth is important. Prospects for joining NATO and the EU” in Kyiv region.
“The citizens of Ukraine have already made more than 2 million trips to Europe with biometric passports. Not only tourists and not only entrepreneurs. This is a new opportunity for education, science. It is a perception of European experience and lifestyle,” Petro Poroshenko said.
“Undoubtedly, young Ukrainians have received the greatest opportunities on our way to the EU and NATO. I urge you to take advantage of these opportunities to accelerate our movement along the way. For a successful implementation of reforms, we now urgently need young eager specialists with European mentality, with European experience, without Soviet rudiments,” he added.
The Head of State emphasized that he had created the President’s Fund to support scientific and educational programs. “Programs for whom? For the youth. The financial assistance, and the Fund is 1 billion UAH …, which will be provided by the Fund, will give an opportunity for Ukrainian girls and boys to study in master’s and doctoral programs, carry out scientific research in leading world universities and scientific institutes. In general, year by year, opportunities for educational and scientific exchanges will continue to grow, which my generation could not even dream about no matter how we studied. The Soviet “iron curtain” separated us from Europe. And you have got the world without borders. We even remove financial constraints,” Petro Poroshenko said.
According to him, there is only one condition: if a student goes abroad and the Fund participates in co-financing his scientific or educational activities, there is one request – to return to Ukraine. “Use your acquired knowledge for Ukraine, there are no less opportunities here for this. If you make a decision to stay there, it’s your right, but you will have to compensate for the funds,” Petro Poroshenko noted.
According to him, the second front is now being opened – the front of struggle against poverty, which will allow to quickly achieve the criteria for joining the European Union.
“I clearly emphasize that Europe needs Ukraine as well, because it is capable of enriching Europe in the 21st century with new energy, the energy of youth and willingness to strengthen the great values shared by Ukraine and Ukrainians, which are the basis of our civilization,” the President said.
“Our partners understand this,” Petro Poroshenko said and quoted President of the European Council Donald Tusk: “Here and now I want to say that there is no fair Europe without independent Ukraine. There is no safe Europe without safe Ukraine. To put it simply, there is no Europe without Ukraine”.
“The answer to our aspirations lies in these words. This is the answer to our associates who support Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO and are ready to work on that. This is the answer at the same time to “treason-seekers” who say in social networks that we will fail. We will succeed. Because it is a response to the aspirations of young people to bring Ukraine not only to the EU and NATO, but also to success,” the President summed up.
