On the 18th of November, the Casimir Pulaski Foundation and the European Academy of Diplomacy hosted Professor Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of the Republic of Latvia (1999-2007) for the graduation of the 9th edition of the Academy of Young Diplomats, the commencement of the 10th edition and the presentation of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation’s “Knight of Freedom” award. The ceremony gathered more than 400 diplomats, civil servants, students and EAD alumni to honor the former president and the graduated of the AYD.

The ceremony was opened by Dr. Katarzyna Pisarska, who welcomed to the stage Professor Vike-Freiberga, Professor Norman Davies and Ambassador Maria Leissner. President of the Board of the Casimir Pulaski Foundation presented the ‘Knight of Freedom’ award to Professor Vike-Freibera following emotional laudations from Professor Davies and Ambassador Leissner.

Following the presentation of the ‘Knight of Freedom’, Dr. Katarzyna Pisarska and Professor Vike-Freiberga presented diplomats of the honor graduates of the 9th edition of the Academy of Young Diplomats – Magdalena Biegaj, Bartosz Duda, Konrad Jagodziński, Justyna Janowska, Maciej Kawecki- and then to the remaining graduates of AYD9. Ambassador Jan Wojciech Piekarski opened the 10th edition of the Academy of Young Diplomats and Professor Roman Kuźniar introduced the patron of the edition – Professor Krzysztof Skubiszewski.

The ceremony was concluded with a panel discussion on “Women in Foreign Policy” where Professor Vike-Freiberga was joined by Dr. Masoumeh Ebtekar (Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran), Ambassador Monika Kapil Mohta (Embassy of India), Ambassador Maria Leissner (Secretary General of the Community of Democracies) and Ambassador Jan Wojciech Piekarski (Head of the EAD Council of Ambassadors).