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Hanne SEVERINSEN: “Your opera and ballet are fantastic”

Photo by Mykhailo MARKIV

Today’s guest of our regular column “Ukraine through Foreigners’ Eyes” is Hanne Severinsen, Rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE). For many years the head of the Danish delegation to PACE has been observing how Ukraine is implementing its obligations after becoming a member of the Council of Europe. Like other ambassadors, politicians, and experts, we asked her to answer the following questions:

1. What kind of Ukraine did you see or discover for yourself?

What struck you the most?

2. List three reasons to love Ukraine.

1. When I first came to Kyiv in 1989, before I began monitoring your country, it was a closed city. There were very few shops, long line-ups, old buildings, and no lighting. Now it is a very modern and lively city. It is fantastic. It seems that despite all sorts of difficulties, Ukrainians are looking optimistically into the future.

But you must be aware that old buildings are often destroyed during city planning projects. It seems to me that you have avoided the scandals that have taken place in other cities. This is important because you have a very beautiful city. Where nature is concerned, I would really like to spend my summer holiday in the Carpathian Mountains, where there are so many beautiful spots. But these places are not well known in Europe. Therefore, I am convinced that you will have a well- developed tourism industry in the future. The Crimea also has a big tourism potential. But this is possible only if you make investments. Therefore, the rule of law is very important.

2. The Ukrainian lifestyle. You can meet many people and have friends here. And I must admit that your opera and ballet are fantastic.

Other articles:

• A constructive summit
• Arsenii YATSENIUK: “Any talk of neutrality is nonsense”
• Benita FERRERO-WALDNER: “The European Neighborhood Policy is a very strong position of the EU”
• This week in history

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