Ukraine and Turkey are "natural and real" partners and bilateral political relations are based on a "win-win formula," Andrii Sybiha, Kiev's ambassador in Ankara, said in a recent interview.
"Our main duty is to form cooperation with key countries like Turkey and maintain it because we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Turkey after we declared independence. We are natural and real partners," Sybiha told Anadolu Agency (AA) last week.
Recalling Kiev and Ankara's 26 years of diplomatic relations, Sybiha said: "We achieved progress in our strategic partnership this year. The political dialogue between the two countries has gained new momentum." The envoy said there is no political problem between Ukraine and Turkey since they base ties on a win-win formula.
In an interview with Daily Sabah in April this year, Sybiha said: "As one of the leading countries in the region, Turkey is a key partner for Ukraine. We will never forget Turkey's firm stance on maintaining Ukraine's territorial integrity that has been unwavering since the very beginning of Russia's acts of aggression against Ukraine. Ankara has been supporting us ever since and has made its position clear on all diplomatic platforms."
"The bilateral trade volume, which showed a downward trend for three years, for the first time has had an increase of 22 percent at the beginning of this year."
Sybiha also mentioned that last year's bilateral trade volume was $4 billion and $1.5 billion in the first months of 2017.
He also said tourists coming from Turkey to Ukraine increased 25 percent.
"Last year, more than 1 million tourists came from Ukraine to Turkey, and this year we expect a 30 to 50 percent increase in tourists," Sybiha said.
A deal between Turkey and Ukraine allowing the two countries' citizens to travel to each other's country without passports entered into force in early June.
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman agreed on March 14 to begin passport-free travel between the two countries. With the deal, citizens of both countries only need to present their national ID cards for stays of up to 90 days.