Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma's speech was followed by addresses of his Russian and Belarussian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, then a prominent singer Sofia Rotaru sang a song.
According to the Ukrainian leader, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus should work on making the citizens of their countries one family in the future.
"We were brought up, we lived and worked as a family of brotherly peoples, and our mandate is to live and work as one family in the future," he said to the youth.
Mr. Kuchma said that Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus had always felt as one inside, and this feeling "grew stronger when an outside threat emerged."
"We have gathered here, where three states, three peoples, and three languages meet, to prove that we have shared attitudes, we champion democratic values, abide by orders of our ancestors who called upon us to be one," the Ukrainian president emphasized.
Vladimir Putin said in return that he regarded holding the festival at a place where the borders of three Slavic states meet was a great symbol.
"This place is different. People who live here might be too busy with their day-to-day lives to feel that they are different, but they are," he said.
He remarked that no one would need a translator even if all participants spoke their mother tongues.
"If we speak our mother tongues and look into the history of our cultures, we will see that these cultures are all alike," he said, "We have something of great value - our shared cultural and spiritual space."
Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko said that he was happy to see that "the young generation, the best-educated and the most active part of the society, continues best traditions of the Soviet times - spiritual relations, brotherly friendship, and meetings on weekdays as well as on holidays."
"All this must live and develop whatever borders and challenges of the times," the Belarussian president said. He also remarked that the research and defense capabilities of the three countries should be reinforced to give their peoples "an opportunity to freely choose the way of development."
Mr. Lukashenko said he hoped young people would do that.
"We prepare youth for living their lives seriously and thoughtfully, and we are trying to involve young people into research and production," he also said.
"Let everyone feel young and physically and spiritually beautiful, and let out Slavic world flourish," he concluded.
Druzhba (Friendship) 2004 International Youth Festival dedicated to the Youth Day (June 27) has been held in Sinkivka near the Friendship Monument at the trilateral border for 30 years now.
The festival is part of the border cooperation agreement between the Chernihiv Region of Ukraine, Gomel Region of Belarus, and Bryansk Region of Russia, and part of the Yevroregiondnepr commonwealth.
Druzhba 2004 involves youth delegations from the three countries, Poland and Moldova, businessmen, state officials, diplomats, and legislators.
The final stage and culmination of the festival, the Youth Day, involves up to 50,000 youngsters, with music concerts, sport events, a great international fair, and an exhibition of traditional handicrafts.
