Joint Statement Following the First Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and Turkey in the Quadriga Format

(Kyiv, December 18, 2020)

In compliance with the agreements reached during the meeting between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on October 16, 2020, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey (hereinafter referred to as Parties) held their first Quadriga meeting as part of their comprehensive bilateral dialogue, on December 18, 2020.

During the meeting, the Parties: 

• confirmed their common intention to continue to develop and strengthen the relations of strategic partnership by implementing previously reached agreements and expanding the areas of cooperation, including  political, cultural, economic and defense fields;
• noted the existence of threats and their implications for the stability and security of the broader Black Sea region that needs to be strengthened on the basis of international law and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states within their internationally recognized borders;
• decided  to explore new avenues for cooperation between the naval forces of the two states in education and training, conducting multinational exercises and activities in support of safety of navigation in the Black Sea;
• agreed to continue their consultations bilaterally and with other interested countries in the region;
• The Republic of Turkey reiterated its support for Ukraine in its reform process and integration with European and Transatlantic structures, including the EU and NATO;
• underscored Turkey’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol;
• positively marked the development of cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey in the defense industry.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey confirmed their intention to hold the next meeting of the Quadriga in Turkey in 2021.