On March 10, 2015 Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. Olexander Motsyk took part in 2015 Diplomatic Gala. The event of nonprofit organization “Sister Cities International”, which takes place annually in Washington, D.C., aims to highlight the importance of closer ties between cities and regions, and emphasize the importance of the so-called “citizen diplomacy” for cooperation between the countries.

This year's event was attended by the heads of diplomatic missions of more than 50 countries, as well as representatives of the Congress, the U.S. federal agencies and American businesses.

During the conversation with Mrs. Mary Kane, President and CEO of “Sister Cities International” Ambassador Motsyk stressed that partnerships between Ukrainian and American cities have always been an important part of strategic partnership between Ukraine and the USA. Today the main priorities of interregional dialogue are to restore lost connections and ensure the effectiveness of cooperation between the cities of Ukraine and the USA.

Ambassador also expressed his hope that “Sister Cities International” will encourage its members to provide assistance to their partners in Ukraine – especially those cities in eastern Ukraine which are most affected by the conflict.

“Sister Cities International” was founded at President Eisenhower’s 1956 White House Conference on Citizen Diplomacy. The main objective of the organization is to promote peace, security and understanding through networking between cities worldwide, mutual acquaintance with the life, history and culture, strengthening cooperation and friendship between the people.