Ukraine opens honorary consulate in Turkey

Ukraine has opened its honorary consulate in the western Turkish province of Kutahya, the Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey has said on Facebook.

"The functioning of the honorary consulate will help protect the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens, promote Ukraine, its centuries-old culture and traditions, establish people-to-people contacts between our nations, develop interregional cooperation and direct business contacts between our countries," the statement said.

Businessman Erkan Gural has become Ukraine's honorary consul.

During his visit to the region, Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar met with the Governor of Afyonkarahisar Province, Gokmen Cicek. Both parties discussed promising areas of interregional cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey, direct business contacts and increased tourist flows.

Bodnar also met with Mayor of Afyonkarahisar Mehmet Zeybek.

"Establishing twinning relations between Afyonkarahisar and a Ukrainian city will promote the development of human relations and trade relations, as well as the mutual increase of tourist flows," he said.

According to the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Ukraine's honorary consulates in Turkey are also operating in the provinces of Bursa and Canakkale and the district of Dalaman.