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The political elites must listen to the people of the Donbas and pay attention to their fate in order to effect real, quality changes Ukrainian society, said popular singer Sviatoslav Vakarchuk at the opening reception of the 11^th YES Annual Meeting in Kyiv.

At the opening reception of the 11^th YES Annual Meeting opening in Kyiv, Mayor Vitaly Klitchko said he believes Ukraine will achieve European standards of living, and that Kyiv will take its place as one of the great European capitals.

The regions of Ukraine need more financial and administrative autonomy, said Sergiy Taruta, Head of the Donetsk Region State Administration at the opening reception of the 11^th YES Annual Meeting, entitled, “New Ukraine, New Europe, New World: Building and Defending” last Thursday evening in Kyiv.

Speaking at the opening reception of the 11^th YES Annual Meeting in Kyiv, European Commissioner for Enlargement Stephan Füle said he believes the EuroMaidan movement reminded the citizens of the European Union about the value of democracy and the need to defend it.

“Maidan overthrew the Viktor Yanukovych regime, but the reforms and freedoms those in Maidan square were striving for have not yet been achieved”, said Head of the Donetsk Region State Administration, Serhiy Taruta, at the opening reception the 11^th YES Annual Meeting, entitled “New Ukraine, New Europe, New World: Building and Defending” on September 11^th, 2014, in Kyiv.

European Commissioner for Enlargement, Stephan Füle, called on the Ukrainian leadership not to lose touch with the population of the eastern regions of Ukraine and expressed his strong support for all the defenders of the sovereign Ukrainian State. He made these remarks at the opening reception of the 11^th YES Annual Meeting in Kyiv.

Ukraine needs the continued understanding and solidarity of the European community, said Alexander Kwasniewski, Polish President (1995-2005), Chairman of the Board of Yalta European Strategy (YES), at the opening reception of the 11^th YES Annual Meeting entitled “New Ukraine, New Europe, New World: Building and Defending” on the evening of 11^th September 2014, in Kyiv.

Since the forum was founded in 2004, more than 350 global leaders in politics, business, society and media from over 20 countries have gathered at the YES Annual Meeting to discuss the role of Ukraine within wider Europe and the world. For the first time in its history, the YES Annual Meeting will take place in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. In past years, the forum was held at its traditional venue, the Livadia Palace in Yalta, Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine last March.

The 11^th Yalta European Strategy (YES) Annual Meeting entitled “New Ukraine, New Europe, New World: Building and Defending,” today announced the addition of several global thought leaders who will be participating in the forum.