Emblems of Ukrainian Rescuers Presented in Rečica ob Savinji
Dr. Aleš Musar, the spouse of the President of Slovenia, presented emblems of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service to Mayor Ms. Majda Potočnik of Rečica ob Savinji and Mayor Mr. Franjo Naraločnik of Ljubno. The emblems were from the Ukrainian mechanized unit that participated in mitigating the aftermath of the August 2023 floods. Representatives from local volunteer firefighting associations, the Red Cross, and the Mladost Sports Association—organizations that collaborated with the Ukrainian rescuers—also attended the ceremony. Additionally, the event was attended by Mr. Tomaž Lovrenčič, the Director of ITF Enhancing Human Security, and Amb. Andrii Taran, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Slovenia.
Rečica ob Savinji, 12 Oct 2023
In September 2023, Dr. Musar participated in the Third Summit of Partners of Heads of State on Mental Health in Ukraine at the invitation of Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine. Before his departure, he was asked to bring back the emblems of the Ukrainian unit that had worked alongside local residents in Rečica ob Savinji and Ljubno to address flood damage.
Delegation member Mr. Lovrenčič recounted his visit to the headquarters of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service (DSNS), saying: “When I mentioned the request from our volunteers who worked shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian rescuers, the commander, visibly moved, removed the DSNS emblem from his sleeve and handed it to me.” Additional emblems were delivered to Dr. Musar later that day, which he brought back from Kyiv to Slovenia.
Mayor Ms. Majda Potočnik of Rečica ob Savinji, where the Ukrainian unit was stationed, and Mayor Mr. Franjo Naraločnik of Ljubno, where most of the work was carried out, organized a ceremony to honor the occasion. During the event, Dr. Musar handed over the emblems of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, which will be displayed for the public at the municipal offices in Rečica ob Savinji.
Dr. Musar took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Ukraine for sending a 50-member unit with heavy machinery to assist Slovenia during the floods, despite being in the midst of a war and in need of all its resources.
