Delivering remarks before leaving for Ukraine, Erdoğan said: “We express on every platform our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, our strategic partner, and neighbor. We, as a Black Sea country ourselves, call on all the parties to act with restraint and pursue dialogue in order for peace to prevail in the region.”

“We are en route to Kyiv upon the invitation of President Zelenskyy of Ukraine to attend the 10th meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council,” Erdoğan said. “Today is also the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations we established with Ukraine. Therefore, our visit bears distinct meaning and significance for us. Following our bilateral meeting with President Zelenskyy, we will co-chair our council meeting.”

Noting that all aspects of the bilateral relations between Türkiye and Ukraine would be reviewed during the talks, Erdoğan said: “We will exchange views on important regional and international matters that are on our common agenda. By signing agreements on various fields, we will consolidate the contractual basis of our relations.”

“We have made considerable strides in recent years in our relations with Ukraine in trade, investment, tourism and defense industry,” Erdoğan underlined. “Despite the pandemic, we have achieved a new record last year by hosting over 2 million Ukrainian friends of ours in Türkiye. Our bilateral trade volume has risen by 60 percent YoY and reached $7.5 billion. We are committed to meeting our trade volume goal of $10 billion. We will soon accomplish this goal thanks to the Free Trade Agreement we will sign during my visit.”

“We call on all the parties to act with restraint and pursue dialogue in order for peace to prevail in the region”

Stating that Türkiye kept a close eye on the challenges faced by Ukraine and the tension in the region, Erdoğan said: “We express on every platform our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, our strategic partner and neighbor. We, as a Black Sea country ourselves, call on all the parties to act with restraint and pursue dialogue in order for peace to prevail in the region. It is clear that the conflict must be settled by peaceful means and in accordance with international law. Let me underscore once again that we stand ready to do our part for the establishment of peace and security in our region.”

“I attach special importance to the situation of our kinsmen, particularly the Crimean Tatars who are an essential part of our relations with Ukraine,” Erdoğan said: “This topic, as has always been the case, will be high on our agenda during our talks in Kyiv. I believe our talks in Kyiv will significantly contribute to further strengthening our relations with Ukraine. I hope the meetings will lead to auspicious results for our country and region.” (ILKHA)