Dear colleagues and friends,

International Volunteer Day is an international day of friendship, an international day of love and an international day of warmth.

Volunteers always and everywhere respond to people's pain and suffering and rush to their rescue.

Always and everywhere they try to provide help consistently.

Always and everywhere they manage to help people despite the challenges they face.

You have a big heart, great patience, enormous courage and an overwhelming love which is enough for everyone.

Today I want to thank each of you for everything you have done for the civilians of Donbas, the most vulnerable and unprotected citizens — children, the elderly and the disabled. I want to thank you for what you do daily for the sake of our homeland and our country.

We will not leave anyone in trouble. We have been helping and will continue to help as long as our help is needed.

Over this year, our team has become stronger and closer to each other. We are one family.

And I am confident that by our joint efforts we will return peace and well-being to our Donbas land. I believe that this will certainly happen.

With deepest respect,

Rinat Akhmetov