Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly will visit Ukraine next week, CBC TV channel reports, citing a press statement.
Joly’s office said the trip was meant to reaffirm Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It is noted that meetings are planned between the Canadian Foreign Minister and Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna.
It is also expected that Joly will visit the Canadian military in Ukraine.
As it is known, 200 Canadian servicemen are in Ukraine as part of the UNIFIER military training mission, they are based in Yavoriv (Lviv region)
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine is in contact with international partners on countering cyberattacks and strengthening the cybersecurity system, measures are being taken to protect the websites of the Foreign Ministry and consulates abroad, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said.
On behalf of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian diplomatic service has begun additional contacts with international partners to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to counter cyberattacks and develop cyber defense systems.
“A team of specialists from the Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with other involved departments, has already resumed the operation of the website of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine: mfa.gov.ua,” Nikolenko wrote on his Facebook page.
He noted that as a result of the hacker attack, the content of the website was not damaged, no official information was leaked, and the internal IT systems of the Foreign Ministry are operating as normal.
“We are taking practical measures to strengthen the cyber defense of the Foreign Ministry and Ukrainian embassies and consulates abroad,” Nikolenko added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in a telephone conversation with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, invited a delegation of Saudi business representatives to visit Ukraine and assess the country’s investment opportunities.
“Dmytro Kuleba invited a delegation of Saudi investors and company leaders to visit our state to assess investment opportunities for doing business and the possibility of participating in a large privatization program. The Minister expressed hope that trade issues will be successfully considered in October at the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Saudi Commission on economic and scientific-technical cooperation in Riyadh,” the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports.
Kuleba himself said that Saudi investments are already working successfully in Ukraine.
“We will welcome their increase. Ukraine is a country of new economic opportunities, especially in the fields of energy, IT, infrastructure, healthcare, agricultural and industrial sectors,” the minister said.
The parties noted the positive dynamics of bilateral relations since their previous conversation in the past, including the holding of the first in eleven years of political consultations between the foreign ministries, and also agreed to continue to maintain a high rate of development of relations between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia.
Kuleba noted a significant increase in the number of tourists from Saudi Arabia in Ukraine, which became possible due to the abolition of visa requirements by Ukraine and the opening of direct flights. The Minister expressed hope that next year the number of Saudi guests will increase further, which should be facilitated, in particular, by the granting of additional permits to Ukrainian carriers for regular flights to Saudi Arabia.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, in turn, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome of his compatriots, which strengthens friendly ties between the two countries. He also noted strong trade ties and expressed his conviction that the two countries have great potential for the development of trade and investment.
The parties expressed their readiness to work on the preparation of high-level visits. The Saudi Minister accepted the invitation to visit Ukraine and invited his Ukrainian counterpart to pay a visit to Saudi Arabia.
The French government has opened entry for all types of travel for Ukrainians in accordance with the recommendation of the EU Council, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“Visa-free with France is valid again! The French government has opened entry for all types of travel of Ukrainians according to the recommendation of the EU Council. A certificate of vaccination or a fresh negative test is needed at the entrance,” Kuleba said on Twitter on Friday.
The website tripadvisor.mfa.gov.ua of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine says that Ukraine is included in the list of countries of the so-called “green” zone, therefore, the entry of Ukrainian citizens into France takes place in accordance with the immigration rules of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of France (https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attestation-de-deplacement-et-de-voyage).
In particular, there are no restrictions on entry if a citizen of Ukraine is vaccinated with one of the vaccines recognized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and approved for use in France. These include Pfizer/Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield and Jansen/Johnson & Johnson vaccines. In this case, the vaccination is considered complete if 28 days have passed since the moment of vaccination with the Janssen vaccine and seven days since the second dose in the case of vaccination with such vaccines as Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeeca/Vaxzevria/Covishield.
If a citizen of Ukraine has not been vaccinated, he can enter France if he has a PCR test done no earlier than 72 hours before entry, or an antibody test done no earlier than 24 hours before entry. The specified entry conditions apply to both adults and children (over 12 years old).
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will pay a working visit to the Republic of Turkey on June 18 to June 20, where he will take part in Antalya diplomatic forum, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
“The head of Ukrainian diplomacy will speak at the plenary session of the forum on the subject ‘Energy: What future awaits us?’ And will hold a number of bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Central Europe, the South Caucasus, the Middle East, Africa and Asia,” the Foreign Ministry said.
It also said that Antalya diplomatic forum is being held by Turkey for the first time.
“This forum is intended to become an annual international platform for exchanging views on topical international issues, discussing effective steps of modern diplomacy to respond to global challenges. This forum is attended by more than 40 heads of state, government, foreign ministries, as well as representatives of academia, experts and the media,” Ukrainian diplomats said.
Transit of gas through Ukraine should remain even after the construction of Nord Stream 2, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
Maas told journalists in Berlin on Wednesday that Chancellor Angela Merkel told Russian President Vladimir Putin long ago that for Germany, the completion of the construction of Nord Stream 2 is associated with the need for further gas transit through Ukraine.
According to him, nothing will change in Germany’s position in this regard.
