UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany has reaffirmed the organisation’s “full solidarity” with the people and government of Ukraine during his first official visit to the country.
In a post on X marking the visit, which comes during his first year in office, El-Enany said it reflected UNESCO’s commitment to Ukraine.
He said he was honoured to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and thanked him for the invitation, as well as the Ukrainian government for its welcome.
The meeting focused on UNESCO’s work within its mandate and priorities for co-operation to support Ukraine’s resilience and recovery, MENA reported. El-Enany praised the courage of the Ukrainian people and expressed his condolences for those killed in the war.
The UNESCO chief also joined Zelenskyy in commemorating the 975th anniversary of the founding of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site ‘Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra’.
The site has been on the World Heritage List since 1990 and on the list of World Heritage in Danger since 2023.
El-Enany said he was deeply moved to visit the historic complex but saddened by the extensive damage caused by attacks in June. He reiterated UNESCO’s condemnation of all attacks on cultural property protected under international law.
UNESCO is working with Ukrainian experts and international partners to assess the damage, identify urgent measures and help protect the site, he said.
With support from Japan, the organisation is conducting three-dimensional laser scanning and digital surveys of the Dormition Cathedral as a first step toward conservation and reconstruction efforts.
“Protecting the Lavra in Ukraine is a shared responsibility of the international community,” El-Enany said, pledging that UNESCO would continue mobilising its expertise and partners to protect, restore and rehabilitate the landmark site.
