Andriy Sibyga replaced Dmytro Kuleba as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. What could be expected from the new first diplomat and whether the Ukrainian foreign policy will change?
Andriy Sibiga, who headed the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, is 49 years old, he studied at Lviv University, where he majored in "International Relations". and "Right". For 22 years, he has held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his first major diplomatic promotion was the appointment of ambassador to Turkey in 2016. He will work there until 2021, after which he will be responsible for foreign policy in the president's office. For the past five months, he has been the first deputy minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine.
He negotiates "The Bayraktars" from Turkey
Among Sibiga's achievements, Kyiv political scientist Vladimir Fesenko points to the formation of strategic partnership relations with Turkey during his ambassadorship. "This can be considered a success because Turkey is a complicated country. And we received "Bayraktari", there are many common projects, we signed a free trade agreement between Turkey and Ukraine. All this happened precisely during his ambassadorial mandate", says Fesenko to DV.
As First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sibiga participated in negotiations with foreign diplomats. He pays great attention to the development of relations with China: he appeals to Beijing to participate in the peace summit in Switzerland, and to Chinese companies to become more actively involved in aid to Ukraine.
Man from the President's team
Judging by everything, the appointment of Sibiga as the first diplomat of Ukraine has been prepared for a long time. "The question of Kuleba's replacement is not from now on - there were rumors a year ago. This was partly related to the fact that he failed to fully implement some of the president's orders. At that moment, for example, there was talk of creating an international tribunal for Vladimir Putin," Fesenko notes.
In addition, according to him, a number of organizational, personnel and financial problems have accumulated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Kuleba is a bright diplomat who was very actively involved personally in promoting Ukrainian interests abroad. But "dropped" the internal situation in the ministry. That is why the experienced diplomat Sibiga, who is aware of the functioning of the administrative machinery, was appointed first as a deputy, and now as a minister," Fesenko believes.
No cardinal changes in foreign policy
The fact that Sibiga worked in the president's office will facilitate his work in the new position, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin is convinced. "The president knows him well, and he knows the presidential office well. This will facilitate his future tasks, which are enormous," Klimkin emphasized to DV. He gave a positive assessment of Sibiga's appointment.
Professor of political science Alexey Garan shares the same opinion. "I have heard good reviews about him not only as a professional, but also as a person," he noted to DV.
In general, observers do not expect cardinal changes in foreign policy with the arrival of Sibiga. "I think that fundamental changes will not occur. Certain emphases in the work with the global South, the preparation for the implementation of a peace formula and the second peace meeting can be changed. The form of communication with international partners can also be changed. But these nuances will be determined personally by the minister and his communication with the president," Garan summarizes.