Good day, dear friends, dear leaders, dear journalists. Today, in our Carpathians, we are holding the first meeting in this format, the format of the Carpathian Initiative C8. And this is a format that unites all the states of our Carpathian macro-region, our neighbors, and all those Europeans in this part of the continent who respect the independence of nations. A united Europe. Our desire to live in peace, to live in security. We are already cooperating a lot together on issues of our defense. We are working, as you know, in energy, and on routes for the export and import of goods. And this is very important. Logistics is one of our key priorities, especially during the war. We are working on the humanitarian aspect, supporting people and communities, and in our interaction at the European Union level. And it is entirely logical, and entirely correct, that we are taking this to another level, I would say, to a stronger level of joint work and joint coordination. Today we have a corresponding joint document that confirms our readiness to work exactly in this way. The meeting participants have agreed on a declaration. In Europe, there are traditionally formats for such interaction. At the macro-regional level, there is work being done within, for example, the Danube macro-region and the Baltic macro-region. And this can be realistically complemented by work within the framework of a new Carpathian format, a Carpathian macro-region that unites us all: Romania, Poland, and our neighbors here —the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, as well as Serbia and Austria. So these are our links, if you will, links through the Carpathians with many in Central and South-Eastern Europe. I want to thank you, friends, for being here with us today in Huta, Ivano-Frankivsk region, and for every such visit to Ukraine. Your participation in such joint meetings, joint initiatives, and joint projects is always about supporting our state, supporting people first and foremost, and supporting all of Europe, especially in such times—a time of war. Not long ago, the Carpathians were thought of exclusively as a place of beauty, indeed of natural beauty, natural power, and cultural strength. A place of great history, which was, and which is now. And in the time of Russian aggression, everything is changing significantly. The Carpathian macro-region has become one of the most reliable foundations of our defense. This is about a strength that exists and will continue to exist. In the Carpathian macro-region, a completely different industrial development has begun, along with much more significant logistics. Energy connections have started to mean much more than they did before. The Carpathians are now a source of strength in the fullest sense of the words. And that is why there is a new format, and why there are new perspectives. And what is very important is that it is not just a dialogue, but also new agreements. We launched this initiative today at the level of leaders, at the state level, but joining us here today are representatives of regions, many communities of our countries, and businesses from our countries. Today, in the second part of the Carpathian Initiative, in the second part of this summit, there will be significant economic agreements, both financial and investment-related. We will have about 550 business representatives from all of our countries. Investment and trade agreements worth a billion euros have been prepared. This is a good start. Energy, logistics, infrastructure, cross-sectoral agreements. Further on, there will be more. And just today, nearly 100 business projects from all eight Carpathian countries will be presented here. The total volume of these projects is nearly 40 billion euros. This is something that can really work for our countries, really work for our shared Carpathians. We are proceeding from the fact that in the coming years, economic growth in the Carpathian macro-region could be twice as fast as the European Union average. There will also be a youth forum, and its participants will represent all of the Carpathian countries, by the way. And we will work to create a special Carpathian macro-strategy at the European Union level. This will allow us to attract more European funds to support the countries and communities of the Carpathians. It is important that the European Union's policy for cohesion, for cohesion in Europe, for real, real support for regions and communities, always receives attention and always receives appropriate resources. Of course, now and over the next few years, a lot of attention is paid to security issues. This is a priority. We feel this, naturally, we feel it very acutely regarding our cross-border interaction, logistics, and trade. We are already truly supporting one another. I would like to thank our partners and friends. Our routes are working, our countries are working, and our ports are very important. Railways are very important, roads are very important. This must work, especially when the Black Sea is blocked by this war, by Russia. They are also trying to block logistics between us and Poland. We talked about this, between us and Poland, between us and Romania. With Moldova. Therefore, the issue, as I said, the issue of security and logistics is, in principle , a shared issue today. And undoubtedly , undoubtedly a shared challenge. There are also several projects that will support energy security for all of us. Well, we will definitely attract additional efforts and additional investment. These are plans that are not for the future, but that we must accomplish today. And that is why I am very glad that there is, as they say, an outcome from the summit in the second part. This evening will be the opening of the economic part, and tomorrow businesses, regions, and communities will work among themselves. Well, thank you very much once again to our partners. I am counting on us continuing this initiative. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes! Statement by the President of Romania. So, first of all, being in Ukraine, I want to express once again my solidarity with the Ukrainian people for their heroic resistance to Russian aggression. And I want to note that Romania will continue to support Ukraine. in this war. I am glad to be here. I believe that This is an extremely important initiative for our countries, but also for the entire region. We already, the representatives present here, have established good relations, but there is an opportunity to strengthen them, to make them stronger. First and foremost, the advantage and benefit of this will be for the stability of the region, as well as for the national minorities living in different countries. And also there will be several layers to this format. One of them concerns the interconnections between our countries, economies, road infrastructure, and energy. We are making progress with many of our neighbors, including those present here. The second layer or level is also extremely important. It concerns the economy. We actually have complementary economies, and scaling the economy is always important. There are certain opportunities in this, including in the field of tourism here in the Carpathians, but also in the spheres of energy, power, and defense. From Romania's side, we also have very interesting experience in the field of nuclear energy. So the business forum that begins today is extremely important for establishing ties between our economies. And another level connects the administrations themselves . I am glad that there are regions in our countries that are cooperating even in these times. They continue to sign contracts and cooperation agreements between the regional administrations of our countries. And yet another level that also plays an important role is the direct connection between individual people. And we talked and discussed how we can find a connection between youth and students in order to understand each other better and, again , to ensure that we will have consistency in our expectations of one another. So I am full of optimism that this format will provide the proper results to, as I noted, stabilize our situation and make our region more prosperous. Statement by the President of Serbia. Thank you very much, President Zelenskyy, for hosting us. in such a beautiful, picturesque part of your country. Thank you for the extraordinary welcome. I would like to note that we have just concluded a very meaningful and thoughtful discussion, and it concerned interconnections, mutual benefits in working in the field of infrastructure, ties between businesses and between people, as well as how we can improve our trade relations. I must say that after several visits by the Ukrainian delegation to Serbia and vice versa, we have successfully grown our trade, if we speak about the trade sector, by 42% during the first half of this year. And I am confident that ties with each other within the framework of the energy sector, railways, roads, and other infrastructure projects will bring real value to all of us. I also believe that we can try to gain greater support from the EU for various projects. And I can guess that we will succeed in this. But what is even more important for us is to find a connection between our people, to bring more tourists to our countries, from the region and to the Carpathian region . I am sure that we can work quite well on this. I apologize for taking up too much of your time. We are here today to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine, which is in our mutual interest. As I already mentioned today, our solidarity , as well as in the interregional dimension and the European dimension, is as important as never before. Because it is now obvious, and I hope it is obvious to all of us, that the Russian threat, the threat from their aggressive behavior, is a threat to us all, not just to Ukraine. Today, Ukraine is fighting, but we all need to be ready for any possible scenario. And that is why our solidarity and our presence here is so important not only for Ukraine, but also for our states and nations. You are not alone, and you know it. And despite all obstacles, despite negative trends, and so on, I will always support Ukraine in your fight against aggression. Because I am convinced, deeply convinced, that your sovereignty and your security also mean sovereignty and security for Poland. We can discuss everything among friends. Among friends, one can discuss even the most difficult issues. For example, as you know, between Ukraine and Poland, we have certain difficult and painful issues from the past. The most important thing is to understand each other. And also no one should try to justify any war crimes or genocide. and various misinterpretations, which always divide people and nations. The truth is always better than lies or false interpretation. That is why I am absolutely certain that we can work for the future. for the sake of all of Europe, but especially for the sake of Ukraine and Poland. And with the deep conviction that the truth is always better than lies, even if the truth is sometimes a little painful. So thank you for this willingness to at least try to also understand our Polish position in a certain context. The Carpathian format can truly be helpful on your path to the European Union. And our Polish experience here is quite clear. Interregional cooperation is one of the best ways to adopt certain European rules, principles, and methods of cooperation. And I support, I always support EU enlargement. I take this initiative very seriously. So thank you , dear friend, Mr. Volodymyr, for the fact that you also made time at such a difficult moment for Ukraine for such an initiative. Thank you. Statement by the President of the Federal Council of Austria. Mr. President Zelenskyy, I would also like to thank you for inviting us here today and for launching this initiative . Austria will continue its unwavering support for Ukraine and international law. Also, when we hold the presidency of the UN Security Council in 2027 and 2028, our discussions today focused on two closely related priorities. Our continued support for Ukraine, as well as strong regional cooperation throughout the Carpathian region. Cooperation, and not just regional politics. It is also cooperation between businesses and, for example, the youth. It is extremely important that trust be built. As far as I am concerned, this is important for future cooperation. This is what we discussed today during my term as President of the Austrian Federal Council. Strengthening our regions and ensuring the economic prosperity of our regions is one of my key priorities. As a result, I am particularly glad to take part in this regional summit. The Carpathians connect our countries and regions and offer significant potential for closer interstate cooperation. Austria also remains committed to supporting the rebuilding and reconstruction of Ukraine together with our international partners. Consequently, we expressed our readiness to host a Ukraine recovery conference in 2028. We will be very happy to welcome many of you in '28. In conclusion, I will say that Austria will continue to support Ukraine and contribute to a more interconnected, sustainable, and prosperous Carpathian region. Thank you. Statement by the First Vice-President of the Senate of the Czech Republic. Good morning. Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Speaking last, I understand that much, if not all, has already been mentioned; you are not the last speaker . Colleagues from Slovakia will also be speaking. But in any case, the platform initiated by the President of Ukraine is extremely important. We discussed many aspects of this Carpathian initiative this morning. And I tried to emphasize one aspect, specifically interregional interaction between all countries. Representatives of these countries are present here. I understand that such cooperation is extremely important, such as in the field of tourism, youth exchanges, and exchanges of faculty and students. Cooperation even in such aspects is extremely bright and stands out against the background of other areas of support, in particular, and we truly have clear cooperation with the Czech Republic. We have various exchange programs for teachers and students. So people are really the most important element of this interregional cooperation. So, returning to the issue of Czech support for Ukraine, our country has currently accepted the largest number of refugees from Ukraine per capita. We have wonderful Ukrainian pupils and students. So we, as the Czech Republic, unconditionally support Ukraine in this fight against Russian aggression. And I believe that this support continues in Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine! Statement by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia . Dear Mr. President, thank you very much for this meeting, for this initiative. First of all, I would like to apologize for the Prime Minister's absence and thank President Zelenskyy for his understanding. I think that this is indeed a very important initiative. Slovakia considers regional cooperation as a foundation for further collaboration. It is an important element for the further development of cooperation. We have excellent, concrete, and very good examples of regional cooperation with our neighboring countries, particularly regarding the Zakarpattia region. And Slovakia, just like Ukraine, has a unique format. We have already organized three special bilateral events between our parliaments. We are now preparing for the fourth. So, as you can see, cooperation between countries and regions can indeed have some great examples. And, of course, my presence is a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. We are ready to share our experience with Ukraine and support Ukraine on its path to the European Union. I believe that this platform is also extremely useful within the framework of the peace initiative, as this platform can serve as an opportunity to exchange experience. And as previous participants noted, it is also an opportunity to exchange students and youth, support existing initiatives in Europe, and use that synergy to promote further development of cooperation. Thank you again, Mr. President. We are moving to the question and answer session. Please raise your hands so that the assistants with microphones can see you better. And the first question is from TSN Ukraine. Good day. A question for Mr. Zelenskyy. Could you please tell us if there is any news regarding the testing of interceptor drones for Shahed drones? Thank you. Thank you for the question. In principle, we are trying not to go into details yet regarding fast interceptors against, uh, fast Shaheds. Yes, but nevertheless, two companies have successfully passed the tests, combat tests, certainly, and a hostile Shahed was destroyed. They were traveling at a sufficiently high, sufficiently high speed. This is a big positive, I will tell you honestly, but we want to see all the tests and look at the format of how to maximize speed and move to mass production. We are talking to these companies, and contracts are already being signed. I am confident that of those 60 companies—67, as I have already mentioned—67 companies are working on interceptors for fast drones , the enemy's jet drones. I think we will have success. These two examples already give some, you know, optimism, some positivity and faith. And faith, that is right. But for optimism and all of that, we still need money. We will work on this issue. We are working on it. There are also some positive moments there. Yesterday we spoke with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. We will meet with her in the near future. We are preparing some proposals to overcome the deficit I spoke about, which is cosmic between us, so to speak . But nevertheless, we will find all the solutions. I already know this. Some things have already been agreed upon. And we will produce fast interceptors en masse. The timelines are tight, and we are pushing everyone every day. You cannot even imagine how, in what way, and with what words and actions. Well, what is being done? Thank you. Next question, please. TVR Romania. Mr. President Iohannis, representatives of the Romanian minority in Ukraine are warning of certain risks, that certain rights related to education in their native language may be limited. For example, certain secondary schools, where Romanian is the language of instruction, could now be subject to closure by next year. We also saw the recent situation in the village of Orlivka in the Odesa region. There was a large classroom with instruction in the Romanian language. It was closed literally four days after it opened. So the question is, what concrete steps is Romania taking in cooperation with the Ukrainian state to guarantee the rights of the Romanian minority, specifically regarding the opportunity for education in the Romanian language? I would also like to ask President Zelenskyy and put a similar question to him. What is Ukraine doing to guarantee the rights of the Romanian minority to study in their own language and to prevent situations like the one in Orlivka in the future? Please. First of all, over the last month, a lot of progress has been made in bilateral issues regarding the Romanian minority. And in accordance with an official marked a certain Romanian Language Day, just as it was done with other languages. That was on August 31st. Furthermore, we held a meeting of the bilateral joint commission on minority issues with the participation of representatives from both countries. It resumed its work last week after no meetings had been held for several years. And one of the tasks of this commission is to review the situation with schools and the possibility of organizing education in the native language. And there are also certain scholarships for students in Ukraine. These scholarships were not issued for a period of time, but we have restored them specifically for Romanian students. So, there is a reform happening, and President Zelenskyy will be able to tell you a little more about it. There is a reform of the education sector underway in Ukraine, but Romanian schools will remain in their current status. There will be some support from Romania so that they continue to function properly . As for the situation in Orlivka, at the moment, additional investigations are underway with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine in Bucharest. I will share the details with you once this investigation is complete. Thank you for the question. I agree with the President that we have achieved some progress with these issues, but between us, let’s be frank: according to the law, nobody nobody can make a decision about such a closure. There were corresponding decisions at the very beginning of the war, and we said that nothing should be closed during the war , during martial law. So, if you have any data, any information, share it with us immediately at the local level, at the level of, well, certain aspects are being addressed. Of course, the Ministry of Education or the central authorities control this, but there is a decision that nothing can be closed. So, as I mentioned, in any case, we maintain contacts at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy. So the diplomats are working, and we can sort everything out. Questions, please. Tanyuk, Tanyuk news agency, Serbia. Good afternoon to all the speakers. I have a question for the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. Mr. President, do you expect significantly greater support from the EU for initiatives like this one? And how do you believe this initiative could accelerate the chances of EU membership, both for Serbia and for Ukraine? Thank you. Thank you very much. And I will try to be as brief as possible. Yesterday, we landed at the airport in Suceava, in northern Romania. And I was impressed by the progress this part of Romania has achieved over the past 20-plus years. So, due to the EU membership status they received, which they obtained 20 years ago, I must say, it was the best example of what Europe does with countries that become full EU members. On the other hand, we are here now, in the Ukrainian Carpathians, in this region. This is an incredibly scenic place. And I am sure that Ukraine has a bright future, just as I am sure of my own country, our country. We are currently on the EU path, and I am full of optimism, like everyone else . We have already had to face a significant volume of information. And I am not sure that the merit-based approach is always justified. Despite this, we will remain on the path to the EU and will demonstrate our support for this path to our Ukrainian friends and President Zelenskyy. He truly, sincerely strives to bring Ukraine closer to Europe. as we once did and as we always strive to do. But despite this, I will say that I am not quite as full of optimism. However, I still rely on European support for projects in this region, because it is extremely important for us all. Thank you for listening to my thoughts. Greetings. I have a question for Prime Minister Tusk and President Zelenskyy. Has Poland managed to overcome the historical tensions between the two countries? And does the Polish Prime Minister's presence here suggest that relations between Warsaw and Kyiv are improving? And a second question. Given the intensifying events near the Polish border, do you see any risks to the logistics routes from Poland to Ukraine , as these are strategically important supplies, including weapons, which are becoming targets for Russia? This is a question for both of us. Yes, for both of us. Do you want me to start? All right. So, first of all, Donald and I have bilateral discussions on certain sensitive issues a bit later. Secondly, listen, we are quite powerful neighbors and friends. We have a powerful partnership, and we are open to any discussions on any topics in order to achieve de-escalation of anything. For our part, we are open to this. Yes, perhaps sometimes we are too direct, but that is because I believe that if you are friends, you must be open and talk about everything that might be sensitive for both sides. But we need to be mature partners. We are concentrating on what is most important . We are friends, and Russia is the enemy. And I believe that any dialogue must reach a common understanding and focus. And thanks to this, we will manage everything. That is the first point. Secondly, the Carpathian Initiative is one of the platforms where we can connect enterprises, businesses, and government cooperation. Young people can find connections in the spheres of culture and sports. And this will help us all, because sometimes we may have different political views on certain issues. It is understandable and normal to discuss them, but I believe this can help us. More joint production, more joint projects, more success in security and energy, which is good for both countries. Such things will help. This will bring us closer to each other and ensure strong leadership. We will discuss this further, but I am always grateful to everyone for every support package that Poland has provided to us. Ukraine now has unique technologies. That is true. And this is a signal. For example, as we develop these technologies during the war. Right now, we are ready to share them with Donald and with our Polish partners. With these technologies that we are building . For example, in the anti-ballistic coalition, we will create a European anti-ballistic system. I am 100%sure of this. We will discuss the details with Donald and we will welcome you there as well. We will be partners. Yes, of course, because we are partners during the war. And I believe that only joint projects, as I said, in the field of security, in the field of energy, any kind, it doesn't matter which, only joint projects will give us the opportunity to be strong together and to move closer to one another. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Dear Volodymyr, as you have already heard, it is an extremely important moment for both of us now. First of all, thank you for your statements regarding our presence, for example, in the coalition regarding anti-ballistic missiles. Remember, in Paris there was some misunderstanding regarding this initiative. Now it has been clarified that Poland also belongs to this initiative, and I don't need to add anything to the words about how important it is for Ukraine, for Poland , and for Europe to ensure a more effective anti-ballistic missile system . This is a real step forward, which I am very happy about. satisfied. As Mr. President noted above, Poland has prepared new, quite significant packages of support for Ukraine. I informed the President about the details, and this is an obvious signal that when it comes to the current situation, we are close friends, close friends, allies, and partners. We are facing a common threat, an aggressive Russia. And I will be very consistent in this. Nothing will change my mind that Poland must support Ukraine in the war against Russian aggression. And we will continue this support without any doubt. History cannot divide us in countering Russia today. You know what I mean. Both countries have their own sensitive issues. I can understand that , but as I noted, no one has the right to justify war crimes or genocide. The truth is always much better than lies or false interpretations. I am absolutely certain that if not today, if not tomorrow, then perhaps the day after, we will find more and more common areas for cooperation. And in our assessment of history, our assessment of the past. One condition is absolutely clear to me. This activity must rely on the truth, on the truth. I am absolutely sure that on both sides we will find people who understand how important this is. On one hand, to respect sensitive issues, on the other, that we need to build our relationships in the present and in the future. In fact, when we approach the process of history, it is a complex process, but I am sure it is possible. Next question, please, Ukrinform. Wait for the microphone. To the President of the Federal Council of Austria, Ms. Christine Schwarz-Fuchs . Madam President, you wanted to say in your speech at the first session of the Carpathian Summit that Austria wants to host a conference on the recovery of Ukraine in 2028. I have a slightly broader question. Tell us about this conference. Thank you. Thank you for this question. Our Chancellor, who cannot be here, regrets that he could not join. He always emphasizes that Austria is here to help Ukraine, both now and when the war ends , when we reach the times when it will be necessary to rebuild and restore your country. After all, much has already been destroyed. significant infrastructure facilities, including critical ones. There are many Austrian companies with significant expertise and know-how. So we would like to unite Austrian companies, and not only Austrian ones. To unite our companies with Ukrainian ones so that they can exchange experience and build connections. This is already happening now. but also to help later in the reconstruction process. Consequently, that is our goal. And we would like to host this conference ourselves in order to bring Ukraine also to Austria, Ukrainians to Austria, connect them with our enterprises, and build connections in order to help rebuild Ukraine later. Next question, please. I have a question for Mr. Jiří. Yes, it will be in Ukrainian. Uh, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic recently announced or proposed creating a joint European air defense project, EuroPeriot, but Ukraine is already developing its own air defense system, Freya, with European partners. Do you not think it is worth merging or integrating these two projects into a single European air defense system so as not to scatter funds and resources? Thank you for that question. My answer is definitely no. I know that our Prime Minister expressed his opinion in that way, but yesterday, during my long journey from Prague to here, the Prague summit took place right in Prague. An international defense summit. And I saw in the reports from this summit that our Prime Minister unequivocally supported this initiative. He also mentioned an anti-ballistic umbrella. When we talk about an anti-ballistic umbrella, for example, a rather strange situation arises, because the four most important members of this initiative are from outside the European Union: Great Britain, Ukraine, and others. So we cannot separate European and non-European security issues, which also concern Europe. As a representative of the Czech parliament, I am absolutely sure and I know that even our politicians are convinced that security cannot be divided by the principle of what is European and what is not. That is my answer. 1 + O, please. A question for Mr. Eštok. Please tell me, what kind of assistance, perhaps in military terms, can Ukraine count on in the fight against the Russian aggressor from your country? Thank you. Thank you for the question. The question is, as I have already noted, we have a unique format of cooperation between both countries. These are regular meetings between governments. We are currently preparing for the next , uh, the next event. Our cooperation mainly concerns the humanitarian aspect . As you know, we are sending non-lethal equipment, including demining equipment, which is very relevant for Ukraine. I would also like to note that Slovakia plans to send three electric locomotives to Ukraine. We are closely monitoring the situation . So this is a concrete example of support for Ukraine from our country. As for cooperation in the mentioned sphere, there are no, uh, obstacles for the business sector, so Slovakia's defense industry is very powerful and is a great example of this. But at the moment, we are focusing mainly on the humanitarian aspects of cooperation. It is also important to note that the restoration of direct rail connection between Kyiv and Bratislava has been completed. We are currently working on increasing the number of mutual connections between our power grids. We are now utilizing over 100 million euros of European Union funding. To this end, we are increasing the capacity of two border crossing points between our countries. This is exactly the result of the previous meeting of government representatives. Also, there is talk of building a Ukrainian school for representatives of Ukraine in Slovakia. We have already signed a roadmap with clear steps for cooperation. So there is the aspect of humanitarian aid and the aspect of people-to-people interaction. Thank you. My question is for President Zelenskyy. This summer, you and Hungary announced an agreement on the rights of the Hungarian minority, but now there is again some blocking of the cluster by Hungary after that. How confident is Ukraine that this agreement will be implemented and that negotiations on the new cluster will actually be opened ? Thank you very much. Should I answer in English? Do you speak Ukrainian? Ah, interesting . We are in Ukraine, yes, both Ukrainians , but we are speaking in English. Well, okay, let's continue. First of all, there was a certain list of points from , uh, Hungary. Not one point, but several points. That is, the governments worked at their level, and the President of the European Commission and the European authorities themselves know about this. We are talking about a law that we had to pass . And as far as I understand, the Prime Minister of Ukraine is to submit this law for consideration to the Verkhovna Rada. The Hungarian side is aware of this. There will then be debates, and then the law will be passed. I don't see any difficulties here. Second point . I hope to see political will from the other side, and that the Prime Minister of Hungary supports and, in fact, unblocks the four clusters. I don't know how that will happen. We hope that two clusters, as I mentioned earlier, will be opened for negotiations in September-October. And we would like to unblock two more clusters by the end of this year, if it is possible for our parliament to actually support this law . If the law satisfies the parliamentarians, they can vote, and perhaps after that, the four clusters will be opened. That is our plan.