Today, the Permanent Representative, Tamila Tasheva, held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Ukraine, Barakat Elleity, who presented his credentials to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in November this year.

During the meeting, key aspects of cooperation between Ukraine and Egypt were discussed, including Egypt’s role in providing humanitarian support to Ukraine amidst nearly three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Tamila Tasheva expressed gratitude to the Egyptian government for supporting UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/6 on February 23, 2023, reaffirming the principles of Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, and endorsing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula. She emphasized that restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including the return of Crimea, is a cornerstone of this formula aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.

Particular attention was given to Crimea’s role in ensuring global food security, especially for African countries significantly affected by Russia’s disruption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The Permanent Representative stressed the critical importance of restoring the grain corridor to stabilize grain supplies, particularly to Egypt, one of Ukraine’s largest grain importers.

Ambassador Barakat Elleity expressed his commitment to enhancing bilateral relations between Ukraine and Egypt. He stated that it was a great honor for him to serve in Ukraine during this challenging period and conveyed deep respect for the Ukrainian people and their culture.

The meeting also touched on the potential for implementing joint cultural and educational projects. Tamila Tasheva proposed developing programs to promote awareness of the history, culture, and traditions of the Crimean Tatar people. She highlighted the significance of the Crimean Khanate as a key historical entity of the Islamic world in Europe, which played a vital role for over three centuries in shaping the region’s cultural and political heritage.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties agreed to maintain dialogue and explore new avenues of cooperation to strengthen friendly relations between Ukraine and Egypt in political, humanitarian, and cultural domains.