Ukraine hopes for Turkey's active participation in the food security component
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine hopes for Turkey's active participation in ensuring food security and navigation safety in the Black Sea. The parties also discussed the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement and strengthening economic cooperation.
First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko and Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat discussed food security as part of President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula, as well as Turkey's role in ensuring the safety of navigation and mine clearance in the Black Sea.
UNN reports this with reference to the Ministry of Economy.
Svyrydenko and Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat reportedly discussed finalizing the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement on terms mutually beneficial to both countries. They also raised the issues of improving the conditions for mutually beneficial trade, expanding cooperation between Ukrainian and Turkish businesses, strengthening control over the implementation of sanctions against Russia, food security within the framework of President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula, and Turkey's role in ensuring the safety of navigation and mine clearance in the Black Sea. The meeting took place during the visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul.
We are grateful to Turkey for its support of Ukraine and highly appreciate the political, military and humanitarian assistance provided, as well as mediation in the exchange of prisoners of war. We look forward to strengthening and developing the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Turkey in all areas. We look forward to Turkey's active participation and leadership in the food security component, as well as to help further involve other countries, in particular the Global South, in this work. Thanks to our joint efforts, we were able to restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and significantly increase exports through the corridor in territorial waters. Turkey is already a de facto hub for the supply of our grain to other countries. For example, we have sent ships with grain to African countries through Turkey, in particular, 25 thousand tons to Nigeria and 15 thousand tons to Sudan. We look forward to Turkey's active participation in the Grain from Ukraine initiative in the future
According to her, the full restoration of safety of navigation in the Black Sea is a common interest of Ukraine and Turkey. No state has the right to restrict it. The resumption of ferry service between the ports of Ukraine and Turkey should be another important element in strengthening food security.
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The parties also discussed bilateral trade and the introduction of a free trade area after the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Turkey. The Ukrainian parliament is yet to adopt the relevant decision.
The implementation of the free trade zone should harmonize mutual trade, simplify logistics, facilitate the entry of more Ukrainian and Turkish producers into the markets of our countries, and open up new prospects for the implementation of joint economic projects between the countries. After the agreement is ratified, all Black Sea littoral countries, with the exception of Russia, will be united into a single economic space. To ensure that such cooperation is mutually beneficial, we discussed ways to further improve joint trade, including in the framework of Ukraine's reconstruction and integration into the European Union
Another topic of the meeting was attracting investments from Turkish private businesses for Ukraine's recovery, as well as the possibility of providing Turkish investors in Ukraine with affordable war risk insurance and export guarantees.
The parties also discussed issues aimed at preventing the circumvention of sanctions with the use of Turkish companies. Ukraine expects that Turkey will continue to take measures to block the supply of dual-use goods used by Russia for military purposes.
It is important for us to continue our joint efforts to eliminate loopholes that undermine the sanctions policy against Russia. We also discussed with our Turkish colleague the issue of Russia's illegal export of more than 4.5 million tons of Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. We ask the Turkish authorities to take appropriate measures to stop the import or transit of stolen Ukrainian grain through Turkey. Ukraine also insists that measures be taken against the companies, vessels and their owners involved in this
During the visit to Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation also met with the leadership of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEIK). This organization brings together leading local enterprises that need to establish foreign economic relations with foreign businesses. Many companies that are members of DEIK are already present in Ukraine, and some of them are considering investing in the Ukrainian economy. Therefore, the parties discussed the possibilities of developing and expanding the presence of Turkish manufacturers producing high value-added products in Ukraine.
