(Istanbul, April 10, 2021)
Ukraine and the Republic of Turkey (hereafter referred to as the Sides),
Based on the principles of friendship, good neighborly relations, and mutual respect;
Aiming to promote peace and stability in their neighborhood and beyond,
Reaffirming the will to strengthen the strategic partnership between our countries and increase cooperation in all relevant fields on the basis of mutual interest,
Underlining their commitment to the principles and norms of international law,
Following the 9th meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council between the Republic of Turkey and Ukraine, which was held under the co-chairmanship of the Presidents of the two states in İstanbul on April 10, 2021, decided to:
1. Increase joint efforts in order to deepen cooperation and coordination between the Sides in the fields of economy, trade, tourism, security, defense industries, science, education and youth,
2. Continue cooperation within the “Quadriga” (2+2) format at Ministerial and Coordinators level,
3. Reaffirm unconditional support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,
4. Continue coordinating steps aimed at restoring territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, in particular at de-occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,
5. In this context, continue supporting multilateral efforts in the framework of international organizations, particularly in the UN, the Council of Europe and the OSCE,
6. Support the establishment of the “Crimea Platform” as a new format to address the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation,
7. Enhance joint efforts to improve living conditions of the Ukrainian citizens, specifically Crimean Tatars who were forced to leave their ancestral homeland of Crimea in the aftermath of the temporary occupation.
8. Coordinate efforts within the framework of international law to ensure protection of human rights in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and the release of all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, including Crimean Tatars,
9. Support peaceful settlement of the situation in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine through dialogue, based on the Minsk agreements, commend the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and continue providing their utmost support to the Mission’s activities,
10. Strengthen their cooperation and solidarity in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, in all their forms and manifestations,
11. Take joint measures aimed at prevention and suppression of transnational organized crime, cybercrimes, irregular migration, trafficking of narcotics and precursors, arms and human beings,
12. Ensure swift processing of requests of extradition,
13. Affirm their commitment to further enhance collaboration in the field of defense industries through completion of current projects and envisaging new joint projects,
14. Express support to Ukraine’s NATO membership perspective in particular, in its intentions to be granted Membership Action Plan in the near future and aim to contribute to the interoperability of Ukraine’s Armed Forces with Allies,
15. Reiterate support to regional cooperation in the Black Sea region in order to ensure stability and security, through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, including NATO,
16. Accelerate efforts to finalize negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement in the spirit of mutual understanding and constructiveness,
17. Take necessary steps to eliminate problems of investors and companies on each side and encourage new investments,
18. Further improve border control practices in order to ease entry procedures and facilitate travel opportunities for nationals of the states of the Parties and encourage mutual tourism,
19. Support educational activities of Turkish Maarif Foundation in Ukraine,
20. Affirm commitment to cooperate and coordinate efforts to contain COVID-19 pandemic and to manage its implications on social and economic activities.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan