In the elegant setting of Palazzo delle Orsoline, today a significant meeting was celebrated between the President of the Ticino Council of State, Raffaele De Rosa, and the illustrious Ukrainian Ambassador, Iryna Venediktova. The event made it possible to address issues of diplomatic importance between the Swiss Confederation and the Ukrainian Government, as well as examining the important issue of the reception of Ukrainian refugees in Ticino.
The Ambassador Iryna Venediktova, who took up her post last November, brought with her a wealth of experience, having previously served as the Prosecutor General of Ukraine for two years. This courtesy meeting was an opportunity to exchange views on various current issues, with particular attention to the relations between the Swiss Confederation and the Government of Kiev in such a delicate moment as that marked by the ongoing war. Furthermore, the reception of Ukrainian refugees in the Canton of Ticino was discussed.
During the meeting, President Raffaele De Rosa highlighted the extraordinary generosity demonstrated by the Ticino population in the early stages of the crisis. The Canton of Ticino set an example of solidarity for the rest of Switzerland, welcoming as many as three thousand people in the first six months after the conflict began, equivalent to approximately 1% of the entire canton's population. This demonstration of solidarity captured everyone's attention.
A theme of particular relevance was that of the integration of refugees. In this context, it emerged that the Canton of Ticino has developed an educational program dedicated to children and young refugees, together with language courses aimed at adults, all based on innovative methodologies. The President of the Council of State underlined how excellent collaboration has been established between the various state institutions involved in professional and work integration, thus promoting the inclusion of new arrivals in the Ticino community.
