Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced plans to establish Syria as one of Ukraine’s key strategic partners in 2024.
In his January 2 address, Zelenskyy shared updates from the Ukrainian delegation’s official visit to Damascus and outlined plans to restore diplomatic ties.
"This year, we can add more countries to our reliable partners, including Syria. We are preparing to restore diplomatic relations with Syria and enhance cooperation in international organizations," Zelenskyy said.
Following a meeting with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitalii Kovalev, who recently returned from Damascus, Zelenskyy detailed Ukraine's future efforts to strengthen relations with Syria in a statement on X.
"Ukraine will support all efforts to stabilize Syria. We will launch the ‘Grain from Ukraine’ program in cooperation with the Syrian administration and other interested partners. We will work with Europe and America to secure maximum support," he said.
Zelenskyy emphasized that "more stability in the Middle East means more peace and trade for all partners."
Diplomatic Efforts and Conditions
During his historic visit to Damascus on December 30, Foreign Minister Sybiha met with Syria’s newly appointed leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and delivered a personal message from Zelenskyy to the Syrian people.
This visit is seen as a pivotal step in Ukraine’s efforts to rebuild relations in the region.
Earlier, on December 27, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi stated that Ukraine would resume diplomatic ties with Syria if the new government reverses Bashar al-Assad’s policies, which had previously supported violations of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
