President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone Thursday to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and expanding Ukraine’s engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the Philippines prepares to chair the bloc next year.
Marcos said the call reaffirmed the Philippines’ “warm relations” with Ukraine and opened discussions on specific areas where the two countries can work together. “We focused on cooperation in food security, agriculture, and digitalization,” he said.
The President added that they also explored opportunities to bolster between ASEAN and Ukraine “for the benefit of our peoples.”
In a separate statement, Zelenskyy said he expressed condolences to Marcos over the deaths and destruction caused by recent typhoons. He also briefed the President on Ukraines on-going efforts– together with the United States and other partners – to advance what he described as steps toward “establishing guaranteed peace.”
The Ukrainian leader thanked Manila for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting the Philippines’ “clear stance” in international forums.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv is ready to share its expertise and technologies, particularly in agriculture and digitalization– areas where the Philippines has expressed interest. “We agreed that our teams will follow up on all these matters in the near future,” he added.
Zelenskyy last visited Manila in 2024, where he met Marcos at Malacañang and announced the opening of a Ukrainian Embassy in the Philippines.
In September, Ukrainian Ambassador to Manila Yuliia Fediv, revealed that negotiations are underway for a defense cooperation agreement that would allow Ukraine to share its drone technology with the Philippines.
The Philippines and Ukraine officially established diplomatic ties in 1992.
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