The Antalya Diplomacy Forum took place in Türkiye for the fifth time. It is a flagship event of Turkish diplomacy, remarkable in its scale and bringing together global leaders, politicians, academics, business experts, media representatives, and civil society.
The forum is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This year, more than 20 heads of state, 50 ministers, and representatives from over 150 countries and 75 international organizations gathered in Türkiye.
The forum serves as a global platform for dialogue and negotiations with representatives from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, spoke at the ADF Talks — a special format of a public interview held before a full audience of forum participants. He addressed key issues: efforts to end the war, strengthening Ukraine’s position both on the battlefield and in diplomacy, increasing pressure on Russia and its allies, and Ukraine’s emerging role as a security partner, which became especially evident after developments in the Gulf region.
A large Crimean Tatar delegation was also present at the forum, led by the leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev and Chairman of the Mejlis Refat Chubarov. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Türkiye Nariman Dzhelyal also took part in the event.
Meetings were held with European counterparts, including the foreign ministers of Austria, Iceland, and Luxembourg. Discussions focused on the urgent need to unblock critically important decisions, including €90 billion in funding, the 20th sanctions package, and the opening of six negotiation clusters.
During talks with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, the parties discussed cooperation within international organizations, food security, and trade. In a meeting with the Vice President of El Salvador, Ukraine reaffirmed its openness to strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation, political dialogue, trade, and collaboration within international organizations. Andrii Sybiha also held substantive talks with his counterpart from Somalia, as well as separate meetings with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Botswana.
In a constructive and warm meeting with Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, the parties discussed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including перспективи joint projects in defense, energy, trade, and logistics. Ukraine expressed readiness to develop a trilateral Ukraine–Syria–Türkiye format, particularly in the context of alternative supply chains.
The Minister also held productive meetings with other Turkish counterparts, including the Minister of Energy of Türkiye and representatives of leading Turkish defense companies.
Following the official part of the forum, brief meetings took place with President of Moldova Maia Sandu, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and other influential figures.
Ukraine takes pride in having a stronger and more confident voice at this year’s forum compared to the previous year, reflecting strengthened positions on the battlefield, in the economy, and in diplomacy. A new role and subjectivity of Ukraine have emerged, particularly in the context of engagement in the Middle East and historic visits of the President of Ukraine to Gulf countries and Syria.
On the second day of the forum, Andrii Sybiha discussed with counterparts from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova the consequences of Russian attacks, the need to increase pressure on the aggressor, and the urgency of unblocking key EU decisions. In dialogue with the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the focus was on air defense and the defense industry, while discussions with representatives of the OSCE and the UN addressed peace efforts and Russia’s accountability.
Substantive conversations also took place with partners from Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Turkmenistan, and Botswana. A series of brief contacts were held with representatives from Latvia, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, and Bolivia to coordinate joint steps.
“Ukraine is gaining subjectivity. Even if this may irritate some of our partners, we have no alternative — we will continue to become more self-sufficient. Despite the war, we are already strengthening our presence in various regions, particularly in the Middle East, and offering a concrete contribution to security. This is valued. In such regions, strength is respected. Compared to last year, Ukraine has significantly advanced. This is evident in conversations, attitudes, and the level of interest,” Andrii Sybiha emphasized.
Overall, throughout all meetings, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs focused on efforts to end the war, strengthen Ukraine’s positions both on the battlefield and diplomatically, increase pressure on Russia and its allies, and reinforce Ukraine’s role as a security partner. Discussions also addressed human rights violations in temporarily occupied Crimea, particularly the issue of political prisoners.
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