That the Parliament congratulates Rev Alan Donaldson, the General Secretary of the European Baptist Federation (EBF), on being awarded the Order of Merit (3rd Class) by President Volodymyr Zelensky in recognition of his humanitarian service to Ukraine; notes that Rev Donaldson was awarded this honour in a ceremony at St Sophia Square in Kyiv, which were held on Ukrainian Independence Day, on 24 August 2025; further notes that the Order of Merit was established in 1996 and that it is a distinguished state decoration of Ukraine, honouring outstanding achievements that contribute to the nation’s development in fields such as culture, science, public service and humanitarian work; understands that the EBF, under Rev Donaldson’s leadership, has supported Ukrainians, with partners, members and individuals, donating over €6 million over the period since the full scale Russian invasion began, displacing millions from their communities; notes that Rev Donaldson, who lives in the Falkirk West constituency, emphasised to President Zelensky that the Order of Merit honour belongs to the global Baptist family, recognising its remarkable response to the crisis; congratulates Rev Donaldson and the EBF on being honoured by the nation of Ukraine for their work to support the people of Ukraine in such challenging times, and expresses its deepest appreciation for everyone involved in the EBF, whose ongoing efforts, it believes, continue to support those impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Supported by:
Alasdair Allan, Jeremy Balfour, Miles Briggs, Annabelle Ewing, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Rona Mackay, Liam McArthur, Paul McLennan, Stuart McMillan, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance