Ukrainian side ready to hold negotiations in any format, says Ukrainian ambassador to Turkiye
ANKARA (AA) – Ukraine on Monday welcomed Turkiye’s offer to mediate with Russia as Ankara offered to invite the leaders of the two countries for talks to its capital.
“Both Ukraine and Turkiye want to ensure stability and peace in our region. We’re working together to ensure this stability,” Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar said at a conference held by the Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (ANKASAM) in the Turkish capital.
Underlining that Ukraine and Turkiye had achieved significant progress in terms of developing relations over the last 30 years, he said the two countries share common interests.
Referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s offer for his country to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, he said: “I’d like to express that we welcome Turkey’s offer of mediation, especially in this context, your president’s offer to invite both our president (Volodymyr Zelensky) and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to Turkiye, and also his role as a mediator in this matter.”
“The Ukrainian side welcomes this offer and is ready to hold these negotiations in any format. I hope Moscow will likewise consider it positively,” he added.
Noting that Turkiye and Ukraine both have strong economies and that their bilateral trade is increasing further, he said: “We’ve reached the stage of signing a free trade agreement. Even without a free trade deal, our trade volume has increased by 50% in 2021.”
Noting that Turkish businesses are in a leading position in large projects in Ukraine, he said more than 35,000 Ukrainians currently live in Turkiye.