Diplomatic mission of Ukraine to The Hague 1919-1922
The mission was headed by the Head of the Department of External Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, A. Yakovliv, a well-known political figure, and historian of Ukrainian law. The mission consisted of 7 Ukrainian diplomats.
After arriving in The Hague, A. Yakovliv sent copies of his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. However, the Netherlands was not ready to recognize the Ukrainian diplomatic mission, as it was waiting for the recognition of the sovereignty of the Ukrainian People's Republic by the Entente countries.
According to the Dutch National Archive, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands considered recognizing the Ukrainian mission. Specifically, a request was made to the Dutch Embassy in Rome regarding the recognition of such a mission by the Italian authorities (telegram dated February 15, 1919; reply letter dated February 17, 1919).
De jure the Ukrainian People’s Republic was never recognized by the Netherlands. Still, de facto the Dutch governmental and political circles recognized the Dipmission to The Hague as a representative of the UPR and cooperated with it. In particular, negotiations were held regarding the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to the Netherlands.
For many years, Ukraine was one of the main grain exporters to the Netherlands and other European countries – in 1919, the Diplomatic Mission began negotiations with the Dutch authorities regarding exporting grain and other agricultural products to the Netherlands (A. Yakovliv's letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs dated November 11, 1919). According to a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, and Trade (November 19, 1919), the Dutch side was interested in importing grain. Correspondence available in the Dutch archive shows that the negotiations were reached.
On April 11, 1920, a part of the team, led by the head of the mission, moved to Brussels, leaving the consulate and the representative office in The Hague.
During its existence, the diplomatic mission of Ukraine in The Hague was located at the following addresses: from 1919 - Laan Copes van Cattenburch 36 and from July 1920, after the downsizing of staff - Kneuterdijk 3a.
On April 1, 1922, the mission of Ukraine in the Netherlands ceased to exist.
Restoration of the Independence period
The Kingdom of the Netherlands recognized Ukraine on December 31, 1991. Diplomatic relations were established between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Ukraine on April 1, 1992. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine was opened in the fall of 1992. The Embassy of Ukraine in the Benelux countries, whose functions also included the representation of Ukraine's interests in the Netherlands, was opened in Brussels in the summer of 1993. The diplomatic representation of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands began its activities in The Hague in May 1999.
List of the heads of the diplomatic mission
1919-1921 - Andriy Yakovliv
1992-1995 - Volodymyr Vasylenko
1995-1998 - Borys Tarasyuk
1998-2000 - Kostyantyn Gryshchenko
2000-2002 - Volodymyr Khandohiy
2002-2005 - Dmytro Markov
2005-2008 - Oleksandr Kupchyshyn
2008-2010 - Vasyl Korzachenko
2010-2011 - Ilya Kvas (Chargé d'affairs)
2011-2017 - Oleksandr Horin
2017-2021 - Vsevolod Chentsov
2021-2022 - Nataliya Kolomiets (Chargé d'affairs)
2022-2023 - Maksym Kononenko
From June 2023 - Oleksandr Karasevych