Ukraine, ASEAN discuss advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, deepening dialogue

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Saturday discussed advancing mutually beneficial cooperation between his country and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during a meeting with the bloc’s chief.

Following a meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Sybiha said through US social media company X that they discussed advancing cooperation, as well as deepening dialogue and expanding practical engagement, particularly in food security, energy, and digitalization.

“ASEAN is an important partner of Ukraine in today’s international architecture. Ukraine reiterates its intention to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner,” Sybiha further said.

He added that he also invited the secretary-general to visit Ukraine.

“Both sides discussed ways to promote cooperation between ASEAN and Ukraine, among others,” the bloc said in a separate statement on X following the meeting.

Ukraine signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, one of ASEAN's founding documents, in November 2022.

Last month, the Philippine News Agency quoted Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv as saying that Kyiv is seeking to become an official dialogue partner of ASEAN by the end of this year.