Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has opened the First Centre for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Countries Studies in Ukraine at the Institute of International Relations of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
“Last year, ambassadors of the ASEAN countries and I discussed in Ukraine what we could do to develop cooperation. I proposed to create Centre for ASEAN Countries Studies in Ukraine. Today we have implemented this initiative. The Centre is laying the foundation for a qualitatively new level of cooperation between Ukraine and ASEAN,” the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry quoted Kuleba as saying on Tuesday.
The main task of the centre will be to establish effective interaction between researchers and scientific employees, the development of humanitarian and educational contacts between Ukraine and the ASEAN countries.
The minister recalled that this year, for the first time since independence, Ukraine has received a Foreign Policy Strategy, and noted that it paid due attention to Ukraine’s relations with Asian countries. According to him, work with this region should be systematic.
Kuleba noted that the next marker of the development of relations will be Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
“Our state has already submitted an application, which is under consideration by ASEAN partners. This will not only be an impulse for further development, but also a clear signal about the new quality of relations between Ukraine and the ASEAN countries,” the Foreign Minister said.
Kuleba said that Ukraine is working to achieve a trade turnover between Ukraine and ASEAN of $5 billion per year.
“I am convinced that it is quite possible to achieve a trade turnover between Ukraine and ASEAN of $5 billion a year, and we are working to implement this goal. We are working to ensure that as many Ukrainian goods, especially those with high added value, are exported to Asian markets,” the minister assured.
A trilateral meeting between the leadership of the Shevchenko Kyiv National University, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ambassadors of the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states in Ukraine was held at the university, where the parties decided to open the ASEAN Center in Ukraine on the basis of the Institute of International Relations of the Shevchenko Kyiv National University by the end of 2020.
“For Ukraine, it is very important to develop partnership with ASEAN. These are new great opportunities, in particular in science and technology, trade, investment, and economic cooperation. The ASEAN Center will contribute as much as possible to the development of contacts between Ukraine and the member states of the Association,” the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said, citing Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba on Friday.
It was the Ukrainian foreign minister who initiated the project.
The main task of the Center will be to intensify bilateral contacts between researchers and scientists, as well as further development of humanitarian, educational and interpersonal contacts, in particular, the participation of representatives of scientific and business circles of Ukraine and ASEAN in cultural and educational exchanges.
The involvement of the faculty of the Institute of International Relations in the creation and functioning of the ASEAN Center will also open up new opportunities for research activities in areas of mutual interest of Ukraine and the countries of the region.
