Ukraine and Turkey: A Focus on Security and Cooperation
On May 30, in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga welcomed his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. They engaged in comprehensive discussions about bilateral relations, the international agenda, peace processes, and the necessity for a complete ceasefire.
“Minister Fidan has just returned from Moscow and provided me with detailed insights from his visit. We discussed steps to bring peace closer to Ukraine,” stated the Foreign Minister.
Special attention was given to security issues in the Black Sea region.
“Ukraine and Turkey share a unified stance: the Black Sea should be a zone of peace, free trade, and maritime freedom,” emphasized Andriy Sibiga.
The diplomats also talked about collaborative efforts to implement agreements from the first meeting of the Ukrainian-Turkish working group on reconstruction. According to the Ukrainian minister, Kyiv is ready to support the involvement of Turkish businesses in relevant projects and anticipates the participation of a Turkish delegation at the Recovery Conference in Rome scheduled for July.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy expressed gratitude to Turkey for the recent significant visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to Turkey and its fruitful outcomes. Andriy Sibiga also extended special thanks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his crucial role in peace efforts.
“We appreciate Turkey’s unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, particularly regarding the return of Crimea and the rights of the Crimean Tatar people,” noted the Minister.
A notable aspect of the visit was the presentation of archival diplomatic documents from the era of the Ukrainian People's Republic, including correspondence from the Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey, kindly provided by the State Archival Service of Ukraine.
While showcasing the exhibition to Turkish colleagues, Andriy Sibiga highlighted that these documents reflect the close diplomatic and interpersonal ties between Ukraine and Turkey.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses gratitude to the head of the State Archival Service Anatoliy Khromov and the director of the Central State Archive of Supreme Authorities and Administration Larysa Levchenko for their assistance in sourcing and preparing materials for the presentation.
