Poroshenko: The National Guard decently fulfills its tasks

On the Day of the National Guard of Ukraine, President Petro Poroshenko made a working visit to Kharkiv region and came to the National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine, informs UaPost. 

The Head of State congratulated the graduates and presented state awards to the warriors of the National Guard who demonstrated courage and heroism in the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine in the course of the anti-terrorist operation.

At the beginning of his speech, the President has declared a moment of silence in the memory of servicemen fallen in the ATO area.

The President has noted an important role of the National Guard in the most difficult time of the last year, when its officers and warriors together with thousands of volunteers from Maidan were jointly defending the integrity and state sovereignty of Ukraine.

"The National Guard decently fulfills its tasks, inter alia, due to the highly qualified officers trained in the National Academy. Your graduates have a high morale and patriotism. They sacrifice their lives for the sake of Ukraine. Let us remember Lieutenant Volodymyr Kravchuk, Major Ivan Yakushyn, Lieutenant-Colonel Oleksandr Kaplynskyi, Colonel Yuriy Boyko. The memory of them will live forever in the walls of native Academy and all over Ukraine," the Head of State noted.

Speaking of the situation in the ATO area, the President has emphasized: "We have no right to relax. We must be ready to defend the country and rebuff the enemy at any time".

According to the Head of State, despite a series of problems in the creation of the given military formation, the National Guard has become a battle-worthy, well organized and patriotic organization that is able to fulfill the most difficult tasks in the protection of legal order and public security, as well as perform combat missions in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies. "The state has never paid so much attention, time and resources to the issue of security before," Petro Poroshenko said.

The President has informed that large-scale international training with participation of NATO countries and the National Guard would be held in April on Javorivskyi landfill.

The Head of State has noted that the National Guard should become a universal military formation that would play crucial role in termination of the armed conflict in the East of Ukraine and prevent similar problems in other regions of our country. The main thing will be to elaborate the right approach to financial and material-technical maintenance of this institution.

The President wished the graduates of the academy to remain faithful to the oath. "You must be an example of diligent service to the Homeland, officer honor and courage. Protect the good name of the officer," Petro Poroshenko urged.

The President examined the training base of the academy and presented diplomas to the best graduates. The Head of State had a conversation with relatives of officers-graduates, lecturers and cadets, examined living conditions, educational process and the work of the Center of firing training of the academy.  The President also watched the interactive lab of firearms, the town for performing standards, classrooms and training facilities.

The President has also taken part in the working meeting on the development of the National Guard with participation of Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak, Minister of the Interior Arsen Avakov and commanders of the National Guard.

The President had lunch with the graduates of the National Academy.