Ukraine is celebrating the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. The country has been marking the day since 2003 in accordance with a presidential decree.
Over 20 thousand of Ukrainians participated in international peace and stability support operations in various parts of the world over the period of Ukraine's independence.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko congratulated the military on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
Particularly, she emphasized that participants in peacekeeping operations can be definitely called fighters for peace, and that their hard job contributed to Ukraine's international prestige. "Trust of people in the countries where you performed your peacekeeping missions, and high rewards of the UN leadership attest to recognition of your professionalism at the world level. Thanks to you the Ukrainian flag in hot spots became a symbol of peaceableness, stability and responsibility," the message of greetings says.
