MANILA - The Embassy of Ukraine in the Philippines will open this year, which is expected to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the Philippines. This was announced by Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskyy during his short visit to the Philippines and a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., after attending the Shangri-la Dialogue Summit in Singapore last Sunday.
According to a statement released by the Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia and Consulate of Ukraine in Manila, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to Marcos for “supporting his country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as important UN resolutions condemning Russian aggression.”
“I am very happy to be in your country for the first time. We are thankful for your clear position on the Russian aggression against our country,” Zelenskyy stated during the meeting.
Zelenskyy also spoke about the preparations for the first Global Peace Summit, which is scheduled on June 15 and 16 in Switzerland, and emphasized the importance of the representation of Southeast Asian countries at the event.
The Consulate of Ukraine also confirms that the Philippines agreed to participate in the summit although it is not yet clear if Marcos himself will attend or will send a high-ranking Philippine official to represent him.
Also, during the meeting the two leaders discussed other issues such as bilateral cooperation, in particular the supply of Ukrainian agricultural products to the Philippines, the Consulate of Ukraine added.
(Courtesy of Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia and Consulate of Ukraine in Manila)
Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Ukraine was officially established on April 7, 1992, existing for over 32 years.
The Philippines also supported Ukraine in voting for the resolution on Ukraine’s territorial integrity at the United Nations General Assembly on March 27, 2014 and strongly condemned Russian aggression after the start of the full-scale invasion, the statement read. Meanwhile, data from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration shows as of May 2024, there are 95 Ukraine nationals living in the country.
