Ukraine is aiming to secure official dialogue partner status with ASEAN by the end of the Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship, Kyiv’s envoy to Manila said on Jan 23, underscoring Ukraine’s push to deepen engagement in Southeast Asia, the Philippines News Agency reported.
Speaking at the Foreign Service Institute’s Ambassador’s Lecture Series in Pasay, Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv said Kyiv wants to expand its regional footprint and strengthen ties with the Philippines and other ASEAN states.
“We want to be more present in this part of the world,” she said, noting Ukraine has adopted a strategy specifically on Ukraine-ASEAN relations.
Ukraine signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 2022 and later applied to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner. Fediv said Kyiv is counting on Philippine support and hopes the strategic dialogue partnership can be achieved by year-end.
Malaysia said last year the application would be reviewed at senior officials’ level, while Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesperson for ASEAN Dominic Xavier Imperial told state media the bid remains “under consideration” by ASEAN members.
Under its ASEAN strategy, Kyiv is seeking cooperation in trade, energy, disaster management and culture amid its ongoing war with Russia.
