Vice Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk chaired the meeting. The participants discussed issues of interagency cooperation of state bodies in the search for missing orphans and children deprived of parental care.

We also discussed the need to continue signing bilateral agreements, memorandums, or declarations between Ukraine and other countries that would regulate the processes of our children’s stay abroad and their return.

The following agreements are currently in force: an agreement with Lithuania, a memorandum of understanding with Portugal and Sweden, and a political declaration with Poland. Agreements with Turkey and Italy are under discussion. Consultations are underway with some countries to realize this opportunity.

Iryna Vereshchuk urged the responsible officials to speed up the process of drafting and signing such bilateral documents.

As a result of the meeting, she instructed the relevant authorities to review existing agreements and expedite the conclusion of new ones.

“In such agreements, the Ukrainian side is primarily interested in exchanging data on children. Especially those who are abroad unaccompanied by adults. We need to intensify this work, especially in those countries where Ukrainians are currently the most numerous,” the vice-premier summarized.