Political and defense consultations of authorized representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ukraine and Turkey – national coordinators of the format of bilateral interaction Quadriga were held in Ankara on March 24, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said on Wednesday.

From the Ukrainian side, the consultations were attended by Director of the Second Territorial Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vasyl Zvarych, and Director of the Strategic Planning Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Yuriy Punda. The Turkish side was represented by Director General of the Department of Bilateral Political Relations with the Eurasian Countries Yonet Can Tezel, and Assistant Director General of the Security and Defence Directorate of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense Ozgur Ozcan Altunbulak.

"National coordinators discussed ways to deepen cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey in the field of security and defense to restore stability and security in the Black Sea region, and to further develop cooperation in the defense industry. A separate topic of the consultations was the current situation on the Crimean peninsula temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation and the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions [...] The participants in the consultations exchanged views on the prospects for resolving conflicts in the regions of the Middle East, North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Caucasus," the statement said.

Representatives of Turkey confirmed their unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, non-recognition of the attempt to annex Crimea, the Foreign Ministry said.

As part of his visit to Ankara, Zvarych held a separate meeting with Tezel to discuss the preparation of the ninth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council chaired by the Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey in 2021, interaction within international organizations, and an increase in trade and investment. During the meeting, the Turkish diplomat confirmed his country's readiness to take part in the work of the Crimean Platform, which will serve as a platform for consolidating international efforts to de-occupy Crimea.

As reported, the first Quadriga meeting in the framework of a comprehensive bilateral dialogue with the participation of the foreign and defense ministers of Ukraine and Turkey was held on December 18 in Kyiv.