President Zelenskyy honours ESTDEV's Klen Jäärats for Estonia's role in rebuilding Ukraine's Zhytomyr Region

"I am deeply honoured and humbled by this award," said Jäärats upon receiving the medal. "The Golden Heart is not just a personal recognition; it reflects the unwavering commitment of the Estonian people, the dedication of the ESTDEV team, and the steadfast support of our partners. Estonia stands with Ukraine, not only in solidarity but through concrete, lasting action." 

The award was presented during the International Summit of Cities and Regions, a high-level forum convened under the auspices of the President of Ukraine. Jäärats appeared on the main stage alongside top Ukrainian officials and international guests. 

"It was a pleasure to see the executive director of ESTDEV, Klen Jäärats, on the main stage of the congress, where he received the Golden Heart medal from President Zelenskyy for Estonia's remarkable contribution to the recovery of the Zhytomyr Region," said Vitalii Bunechko, head of the Zhytomyr Oblast Military Administration. 

Estonia was the first country to officially respond to President Zelenskyy's 2022 call for international partners to focus their reconstruction efforts on specific regions of Ukraine. Estonia selected the Zhytomyr Oblast, and its reconstruction efforts have since become a model for targeted, region-based cooperation. 

As the war continues, Estonia remains one of Ukraine's most active and committed supporters, demonstrating that even small nations can play a significant role in shaping recovery through focused, strategic action. 

To date, Estonia has invested approximately €50 million in Ukraine's recovery. ESTDEV leads these reconstruction efforts, coordinating projects and mobilising Estonian partners from the public and private sectors and civil society through competitive tenders and calls for proposals. 

Estonia has built a kindergarten for 160 children in the city of Ovruch, reconstructed the Malyn Bridge, and built four family-style small group homes for Ukrainian foster families who lost their housing due to the war. Estonia has also renovated the Human Rights Centre, a children's extracurricular education school, and apartment buildings to house internally displaced persons. 

In addition to infrastructure projects, Estonia has supported Ukraine's institutional resilience by providing professional development opportunities to workers from various sectors of society. ESTDEV has organised training programmes to support Ukrainian civil servants as they prepare for EU accession. Further efforts have included continuing education for rehabilitation doctors, the digitalisation of vocational schools, and cybersecurity training programmes for Ukrainian experts under the Tallinn Mechanism.