The President and First Lady, together with the King and Queen of Sweden, visited the Ukrainian Center

As the visit of the Swedish royal couple to Lithuania continued, on Monday President Gitanas Nausėda, together with First Lady Diana Nausėdienė, and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, together with Queen Silvia, visited the Ukrainian Center in Vilnius.

The distinguished guests watched a performance by the Ukrainian children's choir Mriya ("Dream") and viewed the exhibition Lost Childhood by Ukrainian photographer Roman Pashkovskiy. The exhibition tells the stories of Ukrainian children who were forcibly displaced and abducted by Russia, which is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine. It highlights the long-term consequences of war for children and calls on the international community to support efforts to locate abducted Ukrainian children, ensure their safe return, and provide rehabilitation.

The President and First Lady, together with the Swedish royal couple, observed educational and therapeutic activities organized by the Ukrainian Center and led by qualified art therapists, psychologists, and social workers. They also met with participants of a discussion on future scenarios for Ukraine involving students of Kaunas University of Technology and young Ukrainians.

"Lithuania firmly supports Ukraine not only through military and diplomatic means, but also through humanitarian assistance, including investments in the psychological well-being of children who have experienced the horrors of war, their education, and the resilience and critical thinking skills of young people. In this regard, the Ukrainian Center in Vilnius is a unique space for international cooperation where, through culture, research, and discussions, the European vision of Ukraine's future is strengthened," the President said.

The Ukrainian Center in Vilnius was established at the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine and aims to create an open space dedicated to culture, education, and community services for the Ukrainian community in Lithuania. Its founders are the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus University, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Lithuania.

One of the main objectives of the Center, operating since June 2022, is not only to provide a space for people who fled Ukraine in order to facilitate their successful integration into Lithuania, but also to create opportunities for them to meet fellow Ukrainians, nurture their culture, history, and national identity, and receive psychological assistance, non-formal education, cultural, social, and other necessary services. Lithuania's First Lady Diana Nausėdienė actively participates in the activities of the Center, giving priority to programs focused on the well-being of children and youth, psychological assistance for children affected by traumatic wartime experiences, as well as the development of critical thinking and information resilience.