Kuleba: First visit by French minister to Kyiv shows Ukraine is a priority

The first visit by the newly appointed French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Stephane Sejourne, to Kyiv shows that Ukraine occupies an important place in the priorities of French policy.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this at a joint press conference with his French counterpart in Kyiv on Saturday, January 13, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"It is important that Stephane made his first visit to Ukraine literally on the second day after his appointment. As far as I know, for the first time in the history of French diplomacy after the Second World War, the first visit of its head is to Ukraine, and this is also evidence of the important place that Ukraine occupies in the priorities of French policy," Kuleba said.

He also thanked his French counterpart for deciding to travel to Ukraine despite a large Russian missile attack.

"I am grateful to him for his courage, for the fact that he did not turn off the road and came to Kyiv," Kuleba said.

He recalled that from the first days of the full-scale aggression, Sejourne advocated maximum political, economic and military support for Ukraine.

"Today he confirmed to me his attitude towards Ukraine, and we are extremely grateful to him for that," the minister said.