ISTANBUL 

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky on Tuesday hailed Türkiye’s support for Ukraine in the face of a war that has lasted nearly 2 1/2 years.

“Helping Ukraine means helping the Czech Republic and all of Europe,” said Lipavsky during a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Lipavsky underlined the necessity of unity in Europe for a sanctions policy.

Addressing the Russia-Ukraine war, Lipavsky said: “The greatest threat to the Czech Republic is Russian imperialism. Ukraine has been suffering from ruthless Russian aggression for two-and-a-half years. It needs our political, humanitarian, and military assistance."

Highlighting Türkiye as not just a long-standing ally but also a crucial partner in many fields, Lipavsky praised recent steps to enhance cooperation between the two countries, including in agriculture, the environment, and trade.

“Türkiye is an important trade and investment partner for us. Our trade reached €6 billion ($6.42 billion) last year and continues to grow. We see great potential to further increase this. I would like to express appreciation for Türkiye’s efforts to combat illegal migration. We hope to deepen our cooperation in this area,” he added.

He also underscored the Czech Republic’s supportive stance within the EU for developing a positive agenda with Ankara in various fields such as fundamental values, trade, security issues, and foreign policy.

Lipavsky underlined that Prague and Ankara have been NATO allies for 25 years, thanking Fidan for attending a recent informal meeting in Prague of NATO foreign ministers.

He underscored NATO as the “guarantor of security” for all, while also expressing appreciation for Ankara’s efforts to combat the terrorist group Daesh/ISIS.

Lipavsky highlighted that Daesh/ISIS has reemerged in various parts of the world, stressing the necessity to effectively combat its cross-border activities.

He said their discussions were held in a general framework and there were no detailed discussions on the migrant issue.

Pointing to the importance of the EU for the Czech Republic, Lipavsky said: “Illegal migration is not only in Europe but also in other countries like Türkiye, we need to discuss this in detail."