Today’s guest of our regular column “Ukraine through the Eyes of Foreigners” is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro to Ukraine Goran ALEKSIC. Like other foreign ambassadors accredited in Ukraine, as well as foreign politicians and experts, he was asked to answer the following two questions:
1. What impressed you most about Ukraine?
2. Can you list three reasons to love Ukraine?
1. I’ve been acquainted with Ukraine for a long time. My father was the Consul General of the former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. I lived here between 1975 and 1978 and lived the life of an ordinary Soviet boy, attending a school in Kyiv and later, the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. So I know your country very well, and I must say that after coming here 30 years later I was surprised at the great changes. The country has begun to develop very rapidly and show great potential. It was difficult to recognize some of the streets where I used to live and study. Everything has changed so much. When I lived here there were two important newspapers, but there was no strong information stream that exists in your country now. At that time many people wanted to have a different kind of information and journalism. That moment has now arrived. I am very pleased. This is a great, huge country with a big potential and huge human resource. And all this needs to be exploited.
2. I would say that the first place goes to the people who openly criticize, complain, and wish a better life for their country. I think this is good; it proves that people want to take an active part in their country’s development. Ukraine has many educated and hard-working people. There are many people who are eager to achieve success and raise the general level of the country.
Second, I can confirm that Ukraine is a very beautiful country, which resembles the northern part of Serbia. For some time, part of western Ukraine, together with Serbia, was part of a single country: Austro-Hungary. When a Serb comes to Lviv, he finds many architectural similarities. This reminds me of my native land, my home, where I come from. This is important for me, and it is proof that Serbs have rapidly settled down and found a common language with Ukrainians.
Third, I would say that we, Serbs, are impressed by your country’s scale. It is so huge and diversified. For me personally, your country has a huge potential that will undoubtedly be realized in the future. With every year it will be apparent how your country is moving ahead.
