The issues of expanding cooperation were discussed in a telephone conversation by the presidents of Ukraine and Turkey, Volodymyr Zelensky and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Zelensky praised Turkey’s continued support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as active involvement in the work of a new international mechanism – the Crimea Platform, the press service of the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday morning.Zelensky thanked the leader of Turkey for the expressed condolences over the death of Ukrainian soldiers in the east of our state.The President of Ukraine paid special attention to the issue of dismissing Ukrainian citizens illegally detained by Russia.Zelensky and Erdogan exchanged views on the security situation in the region, as well as on relevant initiatives to strengthen security in the Black Sea region.The presidents discussed issues of cooperation in the defense sector. The parties stated that the strategic partnership is already strengthening the armed forces of the two countries. The implementation of a number of important projects in the aircraft construction and development of the Navy was noted, as well as the prospects for deepening such interaction.The head of the Ukrainian state, in particular, informed Erdogan about the start of serial production of the An-178 transport aircraft.“I invite Turkey to join the circle of its customers,” Zelensky said.The leaders noted their willingness to complete the preparation of an Agreement on a free trade area in the near future. Attention was also paid to the state of implementation of the agreements reached on a number of projects on the bilateral agenda, in particular, the construction of housing for representatives of the Crimean Tatar people. The parties discussed issues of interaction in the energy sector, among other things, ways to diversify the supply of energy resources.The presidents agreed to hold the 10th anniversary meeting of the High-level Strategic Council in Kyiv in February 2022. It was noted that this important event should be preceded by thorough preparations, in particular, the holding of the second meeting of the Quadriga at the level of the foreign and defense ministers in December this year.
