Olena Zelenska met with the First Gentleman Aleš Musar in Slovenia

On 18 November, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in Slovenia on an official working visit and met with the First Gentleman, Dr. Aleš Musar, in the capital city of Ljubljana.

During the meeting, First Lady Olena Zelenska highlighted that the bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Slovenia within the framework of the SFLG Global Platform reflects a strong partnership and friendship between the two nations. She also thanked Mr. Aleš Musar for participating in the recent Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen held in Kyiv on 12 September and for his active support in implementing humanitarian projects in Ukraine.

In particular, Mr. Musar has visited de-occupied settlements in the Kyiv region, met Ukrainian children from a relocated Luhansk shelter now based in Slovenia, and actively supports projects aimed at aiding children and teenagers from the Donetsk region. Slovenia has also contributed to the psychological rehabilitation of Ukrainian children, with 50 young Ukrainians undergoing such rehabilitation in Slovenia this September.

In addition, Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, and the First Gentleman of Slovenia, Dr. Aleš Musar, visited the pediatric clinic in Ljubljana, which became part of the international medical partnership project between two countries. This clinic offers treatment for children with various conditions, including cardiological, pulmonological, and oncological diseases, as well as specializes in transplants and palliative care.

As part of this initiative, three new partnerships between Ukrainian and Slovenian medical institutions will be established, including:

• The Volyn Regional Territorial Medical Association for Maternal and Child Health and the Paediatric Clinic of Ljubljana;
• The Odesa Regional Perinatal Center and the Perinatal Clinic of Ljubljana;
• The Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital named after Sklifosovsky and the University Clinical Centre Maribor.

The international medical partnership initiative was launched during the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen held in Kyiv on 6 September 2023. It aims to provide Ukrainian healthcare workers with the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience with foreign colleagues, helping advance the medical sector at all levels. The insights gained through this collaboration will be then used within leading medical practices to benefit Ukrainian patients. Currently, 54 partnerships within this initiative have already been established.