Today, all efforts of Ukraine's diplomatic service and the country’s foreign policy are focused on achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace.
This was stated by Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, on Wednesday, June 11, during a national telethon, summarizing the results of the fourth Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit, which took place in Odessa.
The Foreign Minister reported that high-level delegations from 10 countries participated in the event: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. Among them, seven delegations were headed by presidents or prime ministers. Two deputy prime ministers and a parliamentary speaker were also present. The Minister noted that the high level of representation underscored the importance of the event.
Andrii Sybiha noted that the key topics of the summit were security challenges, ways to end the war, and the pursuit of a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace. He highly praised the summit's outcomes and emphasized that it was a meeting of like-minded partners who share a common understanding of the challenges Ukraine faces today.
“In nearly every speech, it was said that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is also an aggression against these countries. All our partners share the view that Ukraine’s security, Europe’s security, and the security of Southeast European countries are indivisible,” the Minister stated.
The Foreign Minister also spoke about the first-ever trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania, held on the sidelines of the summit. According to the Minister, the three countries share common security challenges, particularly in the Black Sea region.
“We have great prospects in terms of developing joint transit infrastructure. We view both Moldova and Romania as key partners in diversifying the future export of Ukrainian goods abroad,” the Ukrainian diplomat noted.
Answering a question about the current state of Ukraine–Romania relations, Andrii Sybiha emphasized that the relationship is strategic in nature, and Romania is demonstrating a strategic commitment to continued support for Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister announced that one of the key outcomes of the Ukrainian-Romanian negotiations during the summit was an agreement to establish a joint Cyber Center that will operate both in Ukraine and Romania.
Andrii Sybiha also highlighted the willingness of partners to support Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of the heating season.
