The new US Embassy, just officially opened in Kyiv, symbolizes in many respects the multifaceted US-Ukrainian relations over the past 20 years. This is what the US Ambassador to Ukraine, John Tefft said at the opening ceremony last Wednesday. The new US Embassy displays the artwork that includes a great number of works by both US and Ukrainian artists. According to the ambassador, this collection symbolizes the close ties that characterize the US-Ukrainian relations. Besides, the embassy hosts a gallery of the prominent Americans of Ukrainian origin. It presents almost 30 portraits. A half of these people are still living.
Incidentally, the US Embassy in Ukraine is the second diplomatic representation in the inauguration of which Ambassador Tefft took part. As he confessed, a Georgian politician approached him after the opening of the embassy in Tbilisi and said he hoped America would be present in Georgia for a long time. The US ambassador said it was a marvelous building and assured those present that the US would be always present here to further develop relations between the two countries. On his part, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko said the opening of the new US Embassy in Ukraine evidenced the dynamic development of strategic partnership between the two counties. He also noted that the US Embassy in Ukraine is better than its counterpart in Russia.
Indeed, with the living floor area of 15,000 square meters, it is the fourth largest US diplomatic institution in Europe. The 7-million-worth building is special in that it is environmentally friendly and saves electricity. The roof is green, which will prevent it from overheating in the summer. The surrounding greenery will make it possible to properly water the ground.
