T H E F I R S T I S S U E O F T H E 2 0 1 9 E D I T I O N ( J A N - J U N E ) ВІТАЄМO

(Pronounced Vita'yemo - meaning "greetings")

E M B A S S Y O F M A L A Y S I A I N K Y I V , U K R A I N E

H.E. Ambassador Raja Dato' Reza Raja Zaib Shah presenting his credentials to H.E Salome Zourabichvili, President of Beginning of a New Chapter On 24 May 2019, H.E. Ambassador Raja Dato' Reza Raja Zaib Shah presented Malawakil the Letters of Credence to Her Excellency Salome Zourabichvili, President of Highlights Georgia by which the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong accredited H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to Georgia with residence in Kyiv, 2 - AMBASSADOR'S WORKING H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza conveyed to the President and through Her Excellency to VISIT TO GEORGIA the Government and people of Georgia the warmest greetings and best 5 - CELEBRATING HARI RAYA wishes from the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong and from the AIDILFITRI IN THE SPIRIT OF people of Malaysia. He noted the warm relations between Malaysia and Georgia underpinned by mutual respect and as he assumes his responsibilities TRADITION AND CAMARADERIE as the Ambassador of Malaysia to Georgia, H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza expressed 7 - SHARING THE MEANING OF his firm commitment to take every effort to further deepen bilateral LIFE, LOVE AND FAMILY cooperation in potential areas as well as to strengthen links between Malaysia and Georgia. 1 A M B A S S A D O R ' S W O R K I N G V I S I T T O G E O R G I A

Besides attending the Presentation of Credentials ceremony, H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza Raja Zaib Shah also called on senior Georgian government officials including the then Chairman of the Parliament, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Minister of Economy & Sustainable Development. On 26 May 2019, H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza Raja Zaib Shah attended the annual celebration of the Independence of Georgia and the state Reception hosted by the .

H.E. Ambassador Raja Dato' Reza Raja Zaib Shah with H.E Salome Zourabichvili, President of Georgia

H.E. Ambassador Raja Dato' Reza Raja Zaib Shah with H.E Mr. , Chairman of the

H.E. Ambassador Raja Dato' Reza Raja Zaib Shah with H.E Mr. Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

H.E. Ambassador Raja Dato' Reza Raja Zaib Shah with H.E Mr. Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia

2 S T R E N G T H E N I N G M A L A Y S I A - U K R A I N E B I L A T E R A L C O O P E R A T I O N

NEW YEAR RECEPTION FOR DIPLOMATIC CORPS H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail attended the traditional New Year’s Reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps in Ukraine hosted by the then Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his wife Maryna Poroshenko on 16 January 2019 at Mariinsky Palace.

DEEPENING BILATERAL DEFENCE COOPERATION H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza made a courtesy call on Lieutenant General Ihor Pavlovskyi, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine on 25 February 2019 at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

During the courtesy call, H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza expressed Malaysia's readiness to develop active cooperation with Ukraine in the sphere of defence industry and military cooperation through the convening of a Joint Committee MALAYSIA EYES AIRPORT Meeting on Defence Cooperation MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY IN UKRAINE H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza made a courtesy call on Mr. Viktor Dovgan, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine on 26 March 2019 at the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Among others, both discussed regarding Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad's (MAHB) interest in participating in the airport operations and management of Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv in response to the offer extended by former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during his official visit to Malaysia in August 2016.

3 ON THE HORIZON OF A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MALAYSIA & UKRAINE H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza on 12 February 2019 visited the facilities housed by NIK LLC, one of Ukraine’s largest manufacturers of energy metering devices and smart energy management systems. NIK LLC is currently collaborating with a Malaysian company, Intra Bekal Sdn Bhd, to supply smart electricity meters to Malaysian consumers as part of the project helmed by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). V I S I T O F T Y T T U N D A T O ' S E R I U T A M A A B D U L R A H M A N A B B A S A N D Y A B H G T O H P U A N D A T I N S E R I M A J I M O R S H A R I F F T O U K R A I N E

H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail hosted a Hari Raya themed dinner in honour of TYT Tun Dato' Seri Utama Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas, the Governor of Penang and spouse YABhg Toh Puan Datin Seri Majimor binti Shariff on 17 June 2019 at the Rumah Malaysia. The Governor was on a three day visit to Ukraine from 16 - 18 June 2019. The guests were feted to Malaysian delicacies including nasi minyak, rendang ayam, kurma daging, nasi impit and dodol. 4 P R O M O T I N G M A L A Y S I A N T O U R I S M

'MALAYSIA MY DESTINATION' SEMINAR H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza officiated the Malaysia My Destination Seminar held on 26 April 2019 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The seminar was organised by Tourism Malaysia office based in Istanbul which is responsible for the Ukrainian market, in collaboration with Turkish Airlines and Ukraine’s Travel Professional Group (TPG). Besides Kyiv, the same seminar was conducted in two other major cities namely Odessa and Kharkiv. A total 172 local travel agents participated in the seminar.

H A R I R A Y A C E L E B R A T I O N

CELEBRATING HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI IN THE SPIRIT OF TRADITION AND CAMARADERIE H.E. Raja Dato' Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail hosted a Hari Raya Open House for Malaysians residing in Kyiv, staff of the Embassy and local media on 5 June 2019. The event was held to introduce the Ukrainian media of the unique concept of Open House during festivals in Malaysia as well as the distinct traditions and food of Eid al- Fitri festivity in Malaysia. The event brought together Malaysians in Kyiv in this joyous occasion, despite being far away from home, and forged a closer rapport amongst each other. 5 P U B L I C D I P L O M A C Y

HEAD TO HEAD

On 26 February 2019, H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza appeared on a live programme Head to Head at the UATV Studio.

H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza shared his views on the potential of developing bilateral cooperation between Malaysia & Ukraine in specific areas namely trade, tourism and capacity building.

On 21 March 2019, H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza was interviewed by Mandry, one of the premier travel magazines in Ukraine.

H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza spoke about his first impressions of Ukraine, the commonalities between Malaysia & Ukraine as well as improvements he would like to see to strengthen the ties between the two countries.

TOUCH POINTS

On 9 January 2019, H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza was featured in the Touch Points programme aired on UATV.

H.E. Raja Dato’ Reza covered a variety of topics regarding Malaysia - Ukraine bilateral relations in this documentary.

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THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS H.E. Raja Dato' Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail attended the New Year and Christmas Festivities organized by 'Orphans Are Our Children' charity organization on 9 January 2019 at Premier Palace Hotel in Kyiv. In his adress to the guests, H.E Raja Dato' Reza reflected on the meaning of Christmas - a time of love and sharing while the Christmas spirit is all about helping others.

SHARING THE MEANING OF LIFE, LOVE AND FAMILY H.E. Raja Dato' Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail hosted a group of foster children at their Residence on 9 February 2019. They imparted words of wisdom, encouragement in the hope that it would enrich the children’s sense of self-belief and self-worth.

MUFTI IN THE HOUSE On 11 March 2019, Sheikh Ahmed Tamim, Mufti of Ukraine led a delegation from the Religious Administration of Muslims Ukraine (DUMU) to call on H.E. Raja Dato' Reza. The mufti took the opportunity to thank the Embassy for its support towards the successful approval of Halal certification by JAKIM to Ukraine's Halal Certification Centre in January 2019. 7 UKRAINIAN MODEL UN CONFERENCE On 16 April 2019, H.E. Raja Dato' Reza met with selected university students at the Embassy to assist them in their preparation for the 5th Ukraine Model Conference held in on 18 - 21 April 2019. The students assumed the role as Malaysian delegates at the Model UN Conference.

INTRODUCING MALAYSIA: THE EPITOME OF A CULTURAL MELTING POT

The Embassy of Malaysia in Kyiv hosted a group of undergraduates from the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts on 2 May 2019. The visit was initiated by the university’s Faculty of International Law and Relations aimed at raising intercultural awareness amongst their students. The students enjoyed the presentation delivered by H.E. Raja Dato' Reza that touched among others, on the history, geography, political system and economy of Malaysia.

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VESELOHO RIZDVA I SHCHASLYVOHO NOVOHO ROKU On 20 January 2019 H.E. Raja Dato' Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail were invited to attend a Christmas and New Year celebration according to Ukrainian traditions at Fortetsya Hetmana, Kyiv.

MASLENITSA FESTIVAL On 9 March 2019 H.E. Raja Dato' Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail attended a Ukranian traditional festival known as Maslenitsa to usher the arrival of Spring at Kureni Restaurant.

VYSHYVANKA DAY On 16 May 2019, H.E. Raja Dato' Reza and wife, Datin Roslina Ismail attended the Vyshyvanka Day celebration at Poshtova Ploshcha Square. Famous celebrities took the stage wearing Ukrainian Vyshyvanka embroidered clothes. 9 P E R W A K I L A N A C T I V I T I E S

MESYUARAT AGUNG TAHUNAN PERWAKILAN KYIV H.E. Raja Dato' Reza officiated the Annual General Meeting of The Women's Association of Foreign Affairs Ministry (PERWAKILAN) in Kyiv on 6 March 2019.

EMBRACING AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY On 26 May 2019, the staff of the Embassy of Malaysia in Kyiv along with members of PERWAKILAN Kyiv visited the Sviatoshynskyi Residential Care Home for Disabled Boys in Kyiv. The facility houses boys who are mentally challenges, including down syndrome and autism

BUVAY RINA TA PRYVIT AZRA On 18 June 2019, the members of the ladies’ association, PERWAKILAN Kyiv hosted a farewell lunch for Mrs. Rina Hanis Rodzli, outgoing minister counsellor and welcomed Mrs. Azra Firzadh Asangany, the new minister counsellor. 10 A T A G L A N C E

13 February - Courtesy call by H.E. Raja Dato' 28 February - Courtesy call by H.E. Sansanne Reza on Ms. Osnat Lubrani, UN Resident Sahussarungsi, Ambassador of Kingdom of Coordinator in Ukraine. Thailand to & concurrently accredited to Ukraine on H.E. Raja Dato' Reza.

12 March - Courtesy call by H.E. Manoucher 18 April - Courtesy call by H.E. Anica Djamic, Moradi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Ambassador of Crotia to Ukraine on H.E. Raja Iran to Ukraine on H.E. Raja Dato' Reza. Dato' Reza.

25 April - H.E. Raja Dato' Reza attended ANZAC 30 April - H.E. Raja Dato' Reza visited Delta commemorative service and laid a wreath at Wilmar Plant in Odessa. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Slavy Park, Kyiv. 11 A T A G L A N C E

19 April - H.E. Raja Dato' Reza and 26 April - Courtesy call by Ms. 31 May - H.E. wife joined other diplomats in Ukraine Syafinaz Bujang, Deputy Director of Raja Dato' Reza for a familarization tour to Cherynobyl Tourism Malaysia in Istanbul on H.E. attended annual Nuclear Power Plant on the occasion Raja Dato' Reza Iftar hosted by of the 33rd anniversary of the nuclear Mufti of Ukraine disaster

U N I Q U E U K R A I N E виши́ванка Vyshyvanka

From the capital of Kiev to the patriotic city of Lviv, the vyshyvanka is a staple uniform for women, men, and children. The vyshyvanka not only speaks of its Ukrainian origin but also of the particular region in which it was made.

The people of Ukraine believe that the unique embroidery on each garment serves as a protection against evil forces. The embroidery was used in vulnerable places on the garment where evil spirits could potentially enter the body: along the neckline, cuffs, shoulders, back and hem.

Vyshyvanka Day is celebrated on the third Thursday of May. The word combination Vyshyvanka Day means the holiday dedicated to Ukrainian ethnic embroidered cloth. It entered to Ukrainian culture as the name of a national holiday of Ukrainian consciousness, patriotism, and the spirit of of the people symbolized by Ukrainian vyshyvanka.

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REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGE FOR MALAYSIANS

Non-Muslim Marriages Non-Muslim Malaysian citizens who contracted a marriage under the local Ukrainian laws are required to register their marriages at the Embassy within six (6) months from the date of the marriage or a late penalty will be imposed at the time of the registration.

Registration must be made in person at Consular Section of the Embassy between 9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Requirements for the registration are as follows:

Marriage certificate (original and copy); Malaysian passport and identity card of the applicant (original and copy); International passport and local passport of the spouse (original and copy); Two (2) copies of photo each passport size (white background); Wedding invitation (if any); and Wedding photo

Note: All local documents need to be translated into English by an authorized translator and endorsed by the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Muslim Marriages Muslim Malaysian marriages are subject to prior consent from the religious authorities in respective States in Malaysia. For guide and advice, please contact the Islamic Religious Department of the respective states.

C H A N C E R Y I N F O R M A T I O N

Address: 18, Arsenalna Street, Kyiv, Ukraine 01011

Telephone: +380 44 2855271

Fax: +380 44 2855238

Email: [email protected] ; [email protected]

GMT: +2 hrs

Working Days: Monday - Friday Working Hours: (9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.)

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