On April 7-9, 2017, the Foundation for Support of Democratic Initiatives and theSallux Foundation (Netherlands), with the support of the United Union of Patriots of Ukraine, held an international conference “Sustainable development in Eastern Europe – security, cooperation based on Christian values”.
The event was held in Kyiv at the Verkhovyna Hotel Complex.
The conference was attended by 62 delegates from five European countries, including Ukraine: Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Georgia, and the Netherlands.
The conference topics included the following basic blocks:
- Christian values are the basic values of a united Europe;
- The ideas of Robert Schumann, Konrad Adenauer, Otto von Habsburg, and others about the foundations of a united Europe;
- How to be a Christian during the war;
- How is it possible to build a Baltic-Black Sea cooperation space for countries between Russia and Germany?
- Security in Eastern Europe – Opportunities and Challenges.
The conference participants also presented their own projects, including the books “The Church on the Maidan,” “Donbas on Fire,” “How to Rebuild Russia,” “Recommendations to the Governments of the Republic of Poland and Ukraine in Mutual Relations,” and others. There were also presentations of educational and civic initiatives.
Johannes de Jong, President of the Sallux Foundation, spoke about the European view of integration processes, in particular, how Europe was united on the basis of Christian principles and values in the post-World War II era.
Yuriy Mindyuk, President of the Foundation for Support of Democratic Initiatives, made a presentation on Christianity as a core value of a united Europe.
The conference was also attended by representatives of the clergy, including the coordinator of military chaplains, Fr. Lubomyr Yavorsky, UGCC, and military chaplain Fr.
Dariusz Materniak, editor of the PolUkr.Net portal from Poland, focused on Polish-Ukrainian cooperation, representatives of Lithuania Konstantynas Reckovas and Gintare Narkeviciute emphasized the threats and challenges from Russia, and Vice President of the European Christian Political Movement Giorgi Ruhadze shared his views on security issues in Eastern Europe.
At the conclusion of the conference, the participants agreed on further cooperation, in particular, the FPDI plans to hold a seminar on the Christian foundations of European culture and Baltic-Black Sea cooperation in the near future.
