Ukraine stands ready to work together with ASEAN – Sybiha

The foreign ministers of Ukraine and the Philippines, Andrii Sybiha and Theresa Lazaro, discussed cooperation during the Philippines' chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026.

The head of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha stated this on the social media platform X, according to Ukrinform.

"I had a productive phone call with Theresa Lazaro and congratulated the Philippines on the successful national launch of its 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship. Ukraine welcomes the Philippine Chair's priorities and stands ready to work together to advance them. We are interested in deepening engagement in a variety of areas, as well as becoming ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner," he said.

The parties also discussed mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, in particular in the areas of food security, humanitarian efforts, defense, digitalization, and political dialogue. The foreign ministers of Ukraine and the Philippines synchronized upcoming contacts between the two countries to strengthen bilateral ties.

Sybiha informed his colleague about Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system, the current situation on the battlefield, and the dynamics of Ukraine's peace efforts. He also thanked the Philippines for its consistent support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, particularly within the UN framework. The ministers discussed cooperation and mutual support within international organizations.

Sybiha also invited his Philippine counterpart to visit Kyiv and thanked her for the invitation to Manila, as well as for Ukraine's participation in this year's key ASEAN meetings.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Sybiha earlier stated that Ukraine expects to elevate bilateral relations with the Philippines to a new level across all areas.