Ukrainian Foreign Minister talking with reporter from the Myanma Radio and Television.
Q: Myanmar and Ukraine have established the diplomatic relations since 1999. Is this your first visit to Myanmar and how’s your visit to Myanmar?
A: We have about 19 years diplomatic relations. This is not my first visit to Myanmar, but this is my first visit to Myanamr as Ukrainian Foreign Minister. In this sense, it’s indeed a historic and setting up very important political contact but also people-to-people contact between our politicians and our relations. And, we have another important trend. Yesterday we opened up our honourary consulate in Yangon. it shows our commitment to strengthening our relations with Myanmar.And I also came up with a number of ideas how you increase, how you improve our legal framework because still we don’t have the whole legal base for our relations in institutional framework in the sense of the political consultation and in the sense of economic type but of course the fundamental point is for our relations about people-to-people links, this is why I am so positive about my visit.
Q: Your honourary consulate was opened in Yangon very recently and it is a good start for the new year between our Myanmar and Ukraine bilateral relations. I’d like to know your impression on Myanmar’s democratic transformation while Myanmar is endeavouring for peace and national reconciliation.
A: I believe that Ukraine has a number of challenges to tackle. That is very important. But from my conversation with Myanmar political leaders, I got a very clear and strong commitment to help the process of reforms here. Secondly, I see the commitment to the reforms. Commitment is really important to get the success of the reforms. Because of that I understand we have a number of areas which we somehow gonna together, we’ been going in Ukraine through real reform drive. You’ve going along the path of reform. I am very positive about how Myanmar political leaders to tackle challenges.
Q: What can Ukraine make economic cooperation with Myanmar?
A: Absolutely, we have a history economic relations.— Our agriculture sector is don’t much because we have now minus eight in uk. We are one of the most powerful agricultural producers for example if we talk about sunflower seeds and oil, if we talk about other products. You are very powerful producers in other areas for example for rice, tropical fruits, many areas. So, I believe we would be very successful in matching our imports both in industrial and agricultural productions. And, don’t forget, for example tourism. Because tourism has been extremely successful here, in your country. Due to all kinds of your tourist attractions, you are only south east Asian country where you can ski the future. So you should use your unique experiences to attract tourists. We need to work for the people-to-people contacts. We need for our students to exchange. We need to get Ukrainian tourists to Myanmar to understand Myanmar to get essence of Myanmar.
Q: I also want to know your opinion and expectation for Myanmar-Ukraine relations
A: We have very good relations and we have no bilaeteral problems. But we need better interaction in the sense of more than contacts. For example, we need a special mechanism for our people from our both ministries to come together. it’s not only about two foreign ministers. Officials (of both countries) come in together probably two times a year and talk to each others. It’s about diplomats taking about how to help Ukrainians in Myanmar and how to help Myanmar in Ukraine. It’s about our cooperation in different international forum, for example in the United Nations. It’s about many many issues.
Q:What do you want to say to Myanmar?
A: I would like to have regular contacts and regular visits between us. I write to my counterpart in Myanmar to visit Ukraine. it’s about economic ministers to come together probably for bilateral economic connections. It’s about a number of new agreements we still don’t have economic agreement. for example double taxation. We need to work out these agreements. We need to sign them. We have 19 years of successful diplomatic relations. Now we have to put more substance to the relations. My visit is exactly about this.