On February 12-13, 2025 Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maksym Subkh paid a working visit to the Kingdom of Belgium.

On February 12, 2025 as part of his visit, the Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa took part in the meeting of the Africa Working Party (COAFR), which includes the heads of departments for cooperation with Africa of the EU member states' foreign ministries. The meeting was chaired by Rita Laranjinha, Managing Director for Africa at the European External Action Service (EEAS).

In his speech, Maksym Subkh expressed his gratitude for the invitation, noting that it was the first time that a representative of Ukraine was taking part in such an event.

The Ukrainian diplomat informed the participants of the meeting about Ukraine's approach to developing cooperation with Africa along with Ukrainian initiatives aimed at intensifying political contacts and practical collaboration with the continent.

In particular, he noted the opening of eight new embassies in Africa and further plans to expand Ukraine's diplomatic presence in the region. Among the promising areas for the development of Ukraine's cooperation with Africa, Maksym Subkh specifically mentioned food security, energy, IT, as well as humanitarian and educational fields.

Special attention was paid to discussing the possibilities of deepening ties between Ukraine and its African partners with the support of the European Union, as it plays a significant role in promoting sustainable development and stability in Africa. According to Maksym Subkh, Ukraine-EU collaboration can create additional opportunities for developing a mutually beneficial partnership with African countries.

The participants of the meeting stressed the importance of taking into account Africa's priorities and supporting the African Union's 2063 Agenda, aimed at inclusive sustainable socio-economic development of the continent.

During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on Ukraine's strategic cooperation with Africa in light of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. In this context, special attention was paid to working together within the framework of international platforms, primarily the UN.  The importance of countering Russian propaganda and successfully implementing joint initiatives that will contribute to the economic development of the continent was also highlighted.

Maksym Subkh conveyed Ukraine's readiness to continue an active dialogue with the EU and its member states on cooperation with African countries.

On the same day, the Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa held fruitful meetings with the Special Representative of Belgium for Ukraine Jan De Pauw, Special Representative of Belgium for the Great Lakes Region Philippe Bronschain, Special Representative of Belgium for the Sahel Sibylle De Cartier, Director General for Bilateral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Birgit Stevens, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium François Cornet D'Elzius, Head of the Bilateral relations of the Strategy Department of the Ministry of Defense of Belgium Lieutenant Reiner Willemsen, Director of Operations of the Belgian Federal Development Agency ‘Enabel’ Sven Huyssens, and Director for the Africa Programme at Egmont Institute Nina Wilen.

The Belgian side provided detailed information on Belgium's diplomatic presence in Africa, the specifics of its work and activities to develop humanitarian cooperation in the respective regions of the continent. Particular attention was paid to the security situation in certain African countries.

In his turn, Maksym Subkh spoke of Ukraine's expanding diplomatic presence in Africa and stressed the importance of stabilising the security situation and restoring peace in the Sahel and Great Lakes regions. The Special Representative also drew attention to the main areas of Ukraine's cooperation with African states along with Ukraine's humanitarian initiatives aimed at helping the countries of the continent. In addition, Maksym Subkh thanked Belgium for its support of Ukraine at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

On February 13, 2025 Maksym Subkh held consultations with EEAS Deputy Managing Director for Africa Mathieu Briens. Representatives of the relevant EEAS departments and the European Commission also took part in the consultations.

Maksym Subkh expressed his gratitude for the EU's support of Ukrainian initiatives within the UN framework, in particular in the process of drafting the UN General Assembly resolution on the third anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the hope of the EU's further active role in international efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace for Ukraine.

Over the course of the consultations, the parties discussed current issues of Ukraine's relations with Africa and the EU's assistance in building political dialogue and partnership with the countries of the region.

The parties exchanged views on coordinating joint efforts between Ukraine and the EU on international and regional platforms.

Further implementation of the «Grain from Ukraine» and «Food from Ukraine» initiatives and securing support from the EU were also discussed in detail.

The parties paid special attention to joint measures on countering Russian propaganda and disinformation in African countries.

They also considered the possibilities of potential cooperation within the framework of the EU Global Gateway initiative.

The consultations showed that Ukraine and the EU have common approaches to building cooperation with African countries, taking into account the region's interests in sustainable socio-economic development, strengthening peace and stability, as well as respect for international law.

An agreement was reached to make this format of consultations between Ukraine and the EU a regular practice.

Also on this day, a meeting in the Chatham House Rules format was held for the first time between the Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa and the ambassadors of African states accredited to Belgium.

In the course of the conversation, the Special Representative stressed the need to strengthen political dialogue between African countries and Ukraine, in particular in the format of a possible Ukraine-Africa summit. Maksym Subkh informed his counterparts in detail about the opening of new diplomatic missions of Ukraine on the continent and the current security situation in Ukraine in the context of countering Russia's full-scale armed aggression. During the meeting, the Ukrainian diplomat also touched upon the historical context of Ukraine's involvement in assisting African states in their active socio-economic development.

Maksym Subkh called on African representatives to support the upcoming UN resolution condemning Russian aggression and putting an end to the war.

The parties also discussed Ukraine's contribution to food security in Africa through the humanitarian initiatives ‘Grain from Ukraine’ and ‘Food from Ukraine’, promoting a just, sustainable and lasting peace for Ukraine based on common values and the UN Charter, exploring the possibility of establishing food hubs in selected African countries, as well as the prospects for cooperation in economic, trade, agricultural, educational, medical and IT spheres. Ukraine's concern over the escalation of hostilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and its condemnation of the violation of the DRC's territorial integrity and sovereignty were separately highlighted.

Finally, Maksym Subkh emphasised Ukraine's interest in intensifying dialogue with African countries, in particular through the development of interpersonal contacts and cultural cooperation. The Special Representative noted that Ukraine views African countries as true reliable partners.