Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Mischenko received copies of credentials from the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Spain to Ukraine, Adela Díaz-Bernardez.

Oleksandr Mischenko congratulated Adela Díaz-Bernardez on the beginning of her diplomatic mission in Ukraine and expressed gratitude to Spain for its comprehensive support for Ukraine, in particular in the security and defence spheres.

During the meeting, the parties discussed further strengthening Ukraine’s air and missile defence capabilities. The Deputy Minister emphasised Ukraine’s urgent need for additional Patriot interceptors and called on Spain to increase its contribution to international mechanisms supporting Ukraine, in particular the PURL initiative, as well as to support the activities of the Anti-Ballistic Coalition.

Particular attention was paid to the security of the Ukrainian maritime corridor and the protection of civilian shipping. Oleksandr Mischenko called on Spain, including in view of its membership in the Council of the International Maritime Organization, to contribute to a strong international response to Russia’s attacks against Ukrainian port infrastructure and civilian shipping.

The parties also discussed strengthening Ukraine’s energy resilience ahead of the upcoming heating season. The Ukrainian side expressed gratitude for Spain’s practical assistance and called for continued provision of energy equipment and financial support.

In the context of Ukraine’s European integration, Oleksandr Mischenko thanked Spain for its support for opening negotiating clusters 1, “Fundamentals”, and 6, “External Relations”, and expressed hope that Madrid would continue to play an active role in advancing Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.

The Deputy Minister also emphasised the importance of joint efforts to ensure the full use of frozen Russian sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine and expressed gratitude to Spain for its role in advancing the relevant discussions at the EU level.

Oleksandr Mischenko wished Ambassador Díaz-Bernardez every success in her diplomatic mission and expressed confidence that her work would contribute to further strengthening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Spain.