Guatemala Hails Turkish Diplomacy's Role In War In Ukraine

The foreign minister of Guatemala on Thursday praised Türkiye's role as a mediator since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war over five months ago.

"I admire the role played by Turkish diplomacy here (in the Ukraine war). I would like to thank the (Turkish) Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mevlut Cavusoglu) as well. They made a very important agreement (the grain deal) and gave hope to the world. This was a very important step for all of us, for Türkiye. You gave hope to the world," Mario Bucaro Flores told Turkish envoys on the fourth day of the 13th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara.

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul to reopen three Ukrainian Black Sea ports for exporting Ukrainian grain stuck due to the Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24.

To oversee the process, the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul was officially launched on July 27, comprising representatives from the three countries and the UN to enable safe transportation of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizers by merchant ships.

Flores also praised Ankara's role as a mediator during times when an issue is not resolved, saying Türkiye "is always there, in the difficult and good times."

Türkiye is a "strategic partner and friend" of Guatemala, he stressed, adding: "When we look at our bilateral relations for the last 20 years, there has been a significant increase in our foreign trade thanks to the work of our ambassadors. We must acknowledge that our two countries are geopolitical bridges."

"We must act in unity in the world ahead of us. Only together can we get out of the food crisis," he added.

Guatemala is represented in many international institutions, Flores noted and added: "Within the supply chain and the logistics chain, (President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan has tremendous success in making connections. It is a success that reaches the Caribbean and opens up to the world."

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said the relations between the two countries developed rapidly, and that mutual ambassadors have "great importance" in these relations.

Cavusoglu and Flores have also held a one-on-one meeting and discussed the bilateral relations in depth, according to the Turkish minister.

The two officials also signed several agreements.

"Guatemala has strategic importance," said Cavusoglu, adding that its importance is not only geographical but also significant due to its foreign policy in both Latin America and the world. -