On Friday, May 30, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha welcomed Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Kyiv. The two sides engaged in extensive discussions on bilateral relations, international agendas, the peace process, and the need for a comprehensive ceasefire.
“Minister Fidan has just returned from Moscow and briefed me on his observations. We discussed steps that could bring peace to Ukraine,” said the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
The ministers paid special attention to security in the Black Sea region.
“Ukraine and Turkey share a common stance: the Black Sea must be a zone of peace, free trade, and freedom of navigation,” emphasized Andriy Sybiha.
The diplomats also discussed collaborative efforts to implement agreements reached during the first meeting of the Ukrainian-Turkish working group on reconstruction. According to the Ukrainian minister, Kyiv is ready to facilitate the participation of Turkish businesses in relevant projects and expects a Turkish delegation to join the Recovery Conference in Rome this July.
The Ukrainian foreign minister expressed gratitude to the Turkish side for the recent significant visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to Turkey and its fruitful outcomes. Andriy Sybiha 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, as well as its advocacy for the rights of the Crimean Tatar people,” noted the minister.
A notable element 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, graciously provided by the State Archival Service of Ukraine.
While presenting the exhibition to Turkish colleagues, Andriy Sybiha emphasized that these documents reflect the close diplomatic and interpersonal ties between Ukraine and Turkey.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expresses gratitude to Anatoliy Khromov, head of the State Archival Service, and Larysa Levchenko, director of the Central State Archive of Supreme Authorities and Administration, for sourcing and preparing materials for the presentation.
