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In memory of Iryna Solonenko

Iryna Solonenko – a European by conviction and by heart

We were shocked and saddened about the much too early death of our dear friend and colleague Iryna Solonenko. Iryna was a vibrant part of the German-Ukraine experts’ and activists’ group. She was for more than 20 years a highly recognized expert on European integration be it in Brussels, Kyiv, Warsaw or Berlin. Iryna stood for and worked for the EU integration of Ukraine – years before the EU accession status could be expected. You may hardly find a person who was more familiar with the details of Ukraine’s EU Association agreement and the visa liberation regulations that would lead in 2017 to visa free travel for Ukrainians to the EU. It is persons like Iryna to whom we all may be grateful for their steady work and engagement for Ukraine in Europe.

Iryna was part of the Berlin secretariat of Kyiv Dialogue in 2017 as the responsible program manager for the 13th annual conference that was held in Kyiv as an Open Space bringing together more than 200 citizens’ activists, experts and politicians from all over Ukraine and their German partners and counterparts. It was an honor for us to work with Iryna – bringing new ideas, contacts and insights into our work in “Kyiv Dialogue”.  Iryna continued to be a friend and supporter of “Kyiv Dialogue” since that time – last but not least as a member of the steering committee of the platform.

We commemorate Iryna as a joyful intellectual. Standing for her values. Working for her convictions. Our thoughts and hearts are with her family.

 

Stefanie Schiffer

on behalf of the Secretariat and the Steering Committee of Kyiv Dialogue


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