KABUL, 06 June 2021, (TON): As part of the implementation of the Asian strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Kuleba had a phone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Haneef Atmar. This was the first contact between the Ukrainian and Afghan foreign ministers since 2008.

Kuleba said “Ukraine and Afghanistan are united by long-term friendship and mutual respect. Ukrainians support Afghans in their efforts to restore peace in the country and build an inclusive society. The time has come to open a new page in bilateral relations for the benefit of our peoples”.

In turn, Atmar supported Kuleba's proposal to hold consultations between the Foreign Ministries this year in order to discuss practical steps for the development of cooperation between Ukraine and Afghanistan in the political, trade, security and educational spheres.

The ministers noted the significant opportunities for the participation of Ukrainian companies in the implementation of infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, in particular in the regions affected by the armed conflict.

Kuleba further said that last year, trade between Ukraine and Afghanistan amounted to USD 7.17 million. This figure absolutely does not correspond to the potential of the two countries. We should jointly make sure that the volume of trade increases significantly in several years.