April 2 (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday offered to provide Ukraine’s expertise in dealing with freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to countries considering how to keep the Strait of Hormuz open amid conflict in the Middle East.
Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had taken part in a virtual meeting devoted to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, attended by about 40 countries.
“Ukraine has relevant expertise concerning sea waterways, concerning the defence and reopening of maritime traffic,” he said.
“If (our) partners are ready to act we will consider how we can strengthen them, how we can apply our expertise, knowledge and technological potential.”
Zelenskiy offered no further details.
Ukrainian forces have developed technology, including sea drones, that has enabled them during four years of war to score notable successes over Russian ships in the Black Sea and kept Moscow from controlling the waterway.
The president embarked last week on a tour of Middle Eastern countries as part of a drive to provide them with defence technology it has developed in four years of countering drones, many of them designed in Iran.
He said he was expecting a report on progress in the issue on Friday from Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s top negotiator in talks on reaching a settlement to the war.
On Wednesday, Zelenskiy said that Ukraine was already cooperating with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan, and was also in contact with Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq. The government team was also in talks on potential agreements with Turkey and other countries.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Bogdan Kochubey; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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