A delegation of Ukraine's Central Election Commission (CEC) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), joined by embassy representatives, conducted consultative visits to Slovakia and Latvia from 30 June to 3 July 2026, focusing on legal, administrative, security and logistical aspects of organising out-of-country voting for Ukraine's future post-war elections. The visits, supported by the EU-funded INSPIRE UA project, also aimed to strengthen cooperation with host-country authorities and engage Ukrainian communities abroad.
The programme is part of the INSPIRE UA project (Inclusive Support for Participation, Involvement, Representation, and Engagement of Ukrainians Abroad), implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) from August 2025 to August 2026. The project seeks to bolster Ukraine's democratic institutions' capacity, integrity, transparency and resilience in the post-war period, based on the Roadmap on Functioning of Democratic Institutions adopted by the Government of Ukraine in May 2025 as part of EU accession commitments.
In Bratislava, the Ukrainian delegation met with representatives of Slovakia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, and Police Force. Discussions covered the legal and operational framework for out-of-country voting, including coordination among electoral authorities, diplomatic institutions and police, and conditions for establishing additional polling stations. A meeting with MEMO 98 addressed election-related media monitoring, countering disinformation, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), and strengthening public trust in electoral processes.
In Riga, the delegation met with Latvia's Central Election Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Police, and State Security Service. Talks focused on Latvia's experience with out-of-country voting, including polling station administration abroad, cooperation between electoral and security agencies, and procedures for opening stations beyond diplomatic premises. A meeting with the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) covered oversight of political party and campaign financing, compliance with campaign regulations, and interinstitutional cooperation to prevent corruption and enhance transparency.
Dedicated meetings with Ukrainian communities in both capitals addressed participation challenges, accessibility of polling locations, potential need for additional stations, recruitment and training of election commission members abroad, and cooperation between communities, diplomatic missions and host authorities.
These visits are part of a broader EU-supported engagement under INSPIRE UA, which has facilitated consultative visits to 13 EU Member States since September 2025. The project will deliver a comprehensive report with best practices and recommendations in July 2026. The next and final consultative visits are planned for Hungary on 9-10 July 2026, with a conference to present project results scheduled for 28 July 2026.
The visits strengthen institutional dialogue and provide insights into coordination models and the scale of Ukrainian communities abroad, informing further planning for post-war elections.