Ankara / Anadolu

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday described the Ukrainian parliament's approval of the draft law ratifying the free trade agreement between Ankara and Kyiv as a tangible indicator of the continued development of bilateral relations despite the difficult circumstances caused by the war.

The ministry said in a statement that the General Assembly of the Ukrainian Parliament approved on Tuesday the draft law ratifying the agreement signed between Turkey and Ukraine on February 3, 2022.

It added that Turkey had completed its ratification procedures for the agreement earlier.

It explained that the entry into force of the agreement will constitute an important milestone in the Turkish-Ukrainian strategic partnership established in 2011.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry noted that the agreement will contribute to strengthening trade and economic ties and increasing investment cooperation opportunities between the two countries.

It continued: 'This development is one of the most tangible indicators of the continued development of our bilateral relations with Ukraine in all fields, despite the difficult circumstances caused by the war.'

The Ukrainian parliament's ratification of the said agreement came on the eve of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's arrival in Kyiv, and the agreement is expected to enter into force after being signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The agreement is expected to support the goal of raising the trade volume between the two countries to $10 billion.

The trade volume between Turkey and Ukraine reached $6.2 billion in 2024, before rising to $6.6 billion in 2025.

Fidan's last visit to Ukraine was on May 29-30, 2025, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's last visit to Turkey was during the 36th NATO Summit hosted by Ankara on July 7-8 this year.