Ukraine's new foreign minister holds conversations with his Norwegian and Belgian counterparts

Ukraine's new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, who took office last week, has held his first phone conversations with his counterparts from Norway and Belgium. Source: Sybiha on Twitter (X) Details: Sybiha held conversations with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. 

He noted that during the call with Eide, they discussed the next steps in their "excellent bilateral dialogue" and ways to strengthen long-term assistance and expand defence cooperation between Ukraine and Norway.

In his conversation with Lahbib, Sybiha expressed gratitude to Belgium for its "assistance, military aid, the decision to expedite F-16 delivery, and landmark progress on Ukraine's EU accession during Belgian Presidency".

Background: 

• Both Norway and Belgium are involved in supplying Ukraine with Western F-16 fighter jets and Norway is a co-leader of the Maritime Capability Coalition within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (also known as the Ramstein format).
• In the first days after his appointment, Sybiha also had conversations with several other foreign counterparts. 
• In addition, he announced his first personnel changes, which included the dismissal of his deputy Iryna Borovets and the recall of Ukraine's charge d'affaires in Georgia.

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