President Victor Yushchenko on Wednesday presented the Die Quadriga Award to Swedish Queen Silvia in Berlin, according to the President`s press-office.

Yushchenko, last year’s recipient of this prestigious prize, said he was honored to present it to the queen and later told reporters the award was “Europe’s first prize to honor individuals for their contribution to the promotion of democracy, freedom and peace.”

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Queen Silvia is involved in numerous charities, especially in the area of disadvantaged children.  She was a co-founder of the World Childhood Foundation in 1999 and works actively to help the handicapped. In 1990, she was awarded a prize for her charitable work.  The queen is also an honorary board member of the Mentor Foundation International, which fights drug use among teenagers and young adults. She is also the patroness of the Queen Silvia Fund, which implements projects worldwide, including in Ukraine.

Among this year’s recipients of the Die Quadriga prize are former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Stefan Aust, editor-in-chief of Europe’s biggest and most influential weekly magazine, Der Spiegel, and Phyllis Rodriguez and Aicha el-Wafi, co-founders of the Forgiveness project.