On Wednesday, July 23, a meeting took place in Kyiv between Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha, and his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar.
Source: Espreso
Gideon Sa’ar visited Ukraine for the first time in his role as Israel’s Foreign Minister. During the meeting with Andriy Sybiha, the two discussed a range of topics, including security, humanitarian and economic cooperation, innovation development, and joint projects.
“Ukraine and Israel have significant potential in the field of defense technologies. It is time to realize this potential together for the security and stability of our states,” noted the minister.
Special attention was given to regional security issues, particularly the peaceful settlement in the Middle East. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister reaffirmed that Ukraine has always been and remains committed to international law, the protection of civilians, and the search for just solutions.
The ministers agreed to launch a strategic dialogue between Ukraine and Israel concerning the Iranian threat. According to Andriy Sybiha, both countries currently face shared security challenges. In response to these threats, the foreign ministers agreed to intensify both multilateral and bilateral cooperation.
“Iran and russia pose an existential threat not only to our countries but to global security as a whole. Iran continues to destabilize the region by developing its nuclear program and supplying weapons to terrorist groups,” Sybiha emphasized.
He added that moscow, tehran, and pyongyang have united into a single bloc of rogue regimes that support each other and threaten the entire free world.
Additionally, Sybiha noted that Ukraine sees significant opportunities for deeper cooperation with Israel in areas such as medicine, energy, agriculture, and cybersecurity. The discussion also covered the importance of resuming the work of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and holding its next session. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister also proposed restoring political consultations between the foreign ministries of both countries for the first time since 2022.
Sybiha also informed his Israeli counterpart that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has upgraded the status of the historical site of Tzadik Nachman’s grave in Uman from a local to a national heritage site. He expressed gratitude to Israel for its humanitarian aid, particularly a project in the field of water supply for Ukraine’s southern regions. The Ukrainian minister also handed his counterpart a non-paper outlining Ukraine’s need for modular shelters to protect civilians.