Turkish foreign minister set to visit Ukraine

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will pay a visit to Ukraine on Feb. 9 and 10 on the occasion of the fifth meeting of the Joint Strategic Planning Group, a Foreign Ministry statement said on Feb. 8. 

Çavuşoğlu and his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkin, will review all dimensions of bilateral relations and discuss new cooperation opportunities, the statement said.

“The two sides will have a comprehensive exchange of views on current regional and international issues with a special emphasis on the situation of Crimean Tatars as well as the recent developments in the eastern regions of Ukraine,” it added.

A “Plan for Consultations” between the ministries will also be signed after the talks.

During his visit, Çavuşoğlu will meet Ertuğrul Apakan, the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. 

Çavuşoğlu’s two-day visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Ukraine. 

The Joint Strategic Planning Group functions under the High Level Strategic Council between the two countries.       

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote. 

The vote came after violent anti-government protests which led to the overthrow of then-President Victor Yanukovich. 

Along with many U.N. countries, the U.S., the EU and Turkey do not recognize Crimea as Russian territory. 

Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russia separatists has seen around 9,750 people killed, according to the U.N.