🤝 Strengthening Ties: Meeting with the Ukrainian Consul in Brno

In my hometown of Brno 🇨🇿, I had the honour of meeting Her Excellency Ms. Anna Leonidivna Proshko, Consul of Ukraine 🇺🇦.

We shared an extensive and insightful conversation on the current circumstances of Ukrainians living in the Czech Republic, our shared experiences with business and life in Ukraine, and the growing role of our Czech–Ukrainian Chamber of Industry & Commerce.

Our discussion explored important aspects such as:

• How Ukrainian families are adapting to life in Czechia 🇨🇿
• The support networks available to them
• Their professional and educational development 📚
• Their overall well-being and the degree of acceptance they feel in Czech society 🏘️
• Their hopes for the future 🔮 — especially concerning the education of their children and the heartfelt wish to return home when possible 🏡

We also touched on the power of women’s perspectives in dialogue and decision-making.
While I have spent most of my career in traditionally male-dominated environments, this meeting was a reminder of the valuable insights women bring to diplomacy, cooperation, and community building.

Our conversation naturally extended to culture and heritage — from the symbolic parallels between Czech ‘kroje’ and Ukrainian ‘vyshyvanka’, to shared interests in:

• Educational cooperation 🎓
• Preserving traditions 🧵
• Cultural exchange
• And exploring new forms of collaboration between our communities 🤝

I was truly impressed by the cultural vibrancy and scope of activities taking place in Brno, especially those led by the Ukrainian community.

Next week, I look forward to visiting the Ukrainian Centre in Brno 🏛️ and identifying meaningful ways for our chamber to support and engage with their valuable initiatives.

A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Anna Proshko for her openness, insights, and dedication to fostering bridges between our nations 🇨🇿🇺🇦.