“This visit to Ukraine will stay with me for the rest of my life. The fact that both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and I are here together in Kyiv underlines Norway’s broad political support for Ukraine’s fight,” said President of the Storting Masud Gharahkhani.

Along with Anniken Huitfeldt, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Gharahkhani spent Sunday 8^th May in Kyiv. Both had talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“My message to Mr Zelensky was that Ukraine’s struggle is our struggle. The war in Ukraine is a fight between freedom and tyranny. It is an attack on our democracy, human rights and international law,” added the President of the Storting.

Invited by the parliament of Ukraine

Mr Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada – Ukraine’s parliament – and Mr Gharahkhani met online on Friday 22^nd April. It was during this meeting that Mr Gharahkhani was invited to Kyiv.

Mr Gharahkhani met Mr Stefanchuk in the Verkhovna Rada on 8^th May.

“The Storting is the heart of democracy in Norway, and Ukraine is now fighting for its democratic future. In such a situation it’s only natural that I as President of the Storting express our solidarity with the Ukrainian authorities, the Ukrainian people and Ukraine’s democratically elected national assembly,” said Mr Gharahkhani.

The Storting and the Verkhovna Rada have worked together closely for several years to support the development of democracy in Ukraine.

“In my meetings with Ukrainian politicians, I have made sure to ask what the biggest contribution we as MPs can make when the war is over. The work to reinforce Ukraine’s democratic robustness continues,” continued Mr Gharahkhani. 

Visited Bucha

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Storting’s President have also been to areas outside Kyiv, including Bucha.

“We’ve seen with our own eyes the kind of human suffering this war has caused. I myself was a refugee as a child. I know that children who have gone through war have memories they will stay forever. I never dreamt that children in Europe would ever again have to suffer the brutality we are now witnessing,” said the President of the Storting.

“For the second time in my life, I’m in a country that is at war. This time, However, I’m the President of the Storting in a free, independent and democratic country which wants to give its support,” he added.

Laying a wreath on a symbolic day

In Ukraine, 8^th May is a day of commemoration for those who died during World War Two. In Kyiv there is now a memorial wall for the victims of the war between Russia and Ukraine. It was here that the President of the Storting laid a wreath.

“It was a powerful experience for me to lay a wreath at the memorial wall. It is vital we don’t forget that Ukraine has been at war ever since 2014. The civil suffering has been enormous. It was extremely important for me to express my deep sympathies with the Ukrainian people,” said Mr Gharahkhani.