Ukraine and the Czech Republic signed a memorandum on Sunday, May 4, to expand cooperation on mental health services, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska reported on X.
The agreement, signed by Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko and his Czech counterpart, Vlastimil Válek, links Ukraine’s national mental health program, “How Are You?”, with the Czech Republic’s National Institute of Mental Health.
The initiative aims to strengthen trauma care, research, and mental health resilience in the face of war-related challenges.
“The partnership – which brings together science, practical work, and policy development into one living and effective model of change – will make it possible to reflect on this experience, adapt international practices, and develop new approaches to resilience,” Zelenska said during the signing ceremony.
The cooperation is part of the Czech government’s Medevac program, a humanitarian aid initiative that supports countries coping with crises.
Zelenska and Pavlová also discussed joint expectations for the upcoming Healthcare Initiative for Ukraine conference.
Zelenska praised the Czech Republic’s support through the Ukraine Investment Framework, which is currently helping renovate and modernize six hospitals across the Volyn, Dnipro, Kyiv, Lviv, and Rivne regions.
“We expect tangible results from this conference for our patients, doctors, and clinics – especially new agreements on medical partnership,” she said.
In the field of education, the Czech Republic formally joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies. Ukrainian and Czech universities are set to sign cooperation agreements, and a “Ukrainian bookshelf” is planned for the Czech National Library to promote access to Ukrainian literature and history.
“There will be more Ukrainian studies in higher education institutions, which means more objective information about Ukraine,” Zelenska said.