Lisbon, Aug. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - The director of the National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth/Sport and the European Solidarity Corps, Portuguese national Luís Alves, has received an award presented by Ukraine in Kyiv for his «significant personal contribution to strengthening international cooperation».
The Order of Merit of Ukraine – Third Class, an honour conferred by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was presented to Luís Alves during the celebrations for Independence Day in the country currently at war with Russia, which took place on Monday.
The honour had been conferred by presidential decree dated 22 January 2026, recognising «his significant personal contribution to strengthening international cooperation, supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, acting in solidarity, and promoting the Ukrainian state worldwide».
The Order of Merit, established in 1996, honours individuals in the fields of international cooperation, culture, science, politics and civic engagement, recognising achievements that make a significant contribution to dialogue between countries and peoples.
Luís Alves received the honour on Monday, directly from Zelensky himself, and was the only foreign national – apart from heads of state and government – to be awarded the honour at the ceremony, according to a press release issued on Monday by the National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth/Sport and the European Solidarity Corps.
The press release states that the Portuguese national «has, since the start of the large-scale [Russian] invasion, been engaged in ongoing efforts to support Ukraine, with a strong European dimension, particularly in the fields of youth, non-formal education and institutional cooperation».
The work carried out – coordinating the European Commission, the European network of National Agencies and organisations from different countries in support of Ukraine – has promoted «the integration of Ukrainian institutions and organisations into European structures, networks and opportunities».
«This initiative has helped to broaden access for Ukrainian organisations and young people to European programmes, develop new international networks and partnerships, and strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, combining action at European level with concrete initiatives on the ground and regular visits to Ukraine,» it added.
According to the statement, bilateral cooperation between Portugal and Ukraine has also been a key aspect of this work.
Luís Alves had previously been awarded the Insignia of Honour by the Ukrainian government in 2024 for services rendered to the country during wartime.
A graduate in Chemistry with a postgraduate qualification in Youth – New Contexts and Interventions, Luís André Mendes Alves was born on 25 February 1977 and is originally from Vila Nova de Famalicão.
Before becoming director of the Erasmus+ Youth in Action Agency, he also served as executive director of Porto Lazer and was vice-president of the Portuguese Youth Institute (IPJ).
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