The head of state said this during a meeting of ambassadors, Ukrinform’s correspondent reports.

Zelensky said that Ukraine wanted stronger relations with Japan. He noted that political changes had taken place there and that there had been high expectations. While expressing gratitude for Japan's support, he stated that the results so far had not been as significant as they could have been. He added that this needed to be improved by proposing concrete ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

The President also noted that Ukraine was underrepresented at key security forums in Asia.

He said that Ukrainians had become accustomed to seeing their country represented at events such as the World Economic Forum in Davos and the Munich Security Conference. However, he pointed out that Ukraine was sometimes absent from other important platforms. He stressed that the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, as well as other major security, economic, and political forums in Asia, should include Ukraine at a level that would be truly noticeable for the region.

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Zelensky urged Ukrainian diplomats to find new ways to strengthen relations with both India and China.

He said that Ukraine had to find a practical way to strengthen its relations with India and seek dialogue with China. He added that if Ukraine did not want China to support only Russia, it would have to build those relationships despite the significant challenges involved.

Speaking about relations with Eastern countries, Zelensky also highlighted new forms of cooperation with partners in the Middle East.

He said that Ukraine had achieved good results in its work in the Middle East and the Gulf. He praised Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, diplomat Serhii Kyslytsia, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha for their efforts. Zelensky added that he was grateful to the entire team and noted that different institutions and various forms of cooperation were producing positive results.

As reported earlier, since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Japan has provided Ukraine with more than $15 billion in assistance across various sectors. Ukraine expects an additional $6 billion in aid this year.

Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram