Sybiha approves new structure of Foreign Affairs Ministry, Department of Security and Defense and Department of Unfriendly Countries created

Sybiha approves new structure of Foreign Affairs Ministry, Department of Security and Defense and Department of Unfriendly Countries created

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has approved the new structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sybiha announced this on Facebook, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

"I signed an important order. As of yesterday, July 7, we have a new structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A structure that meets the realities of war and the best European and world diplomatic practices," he said.

Sybiha reported that the times when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a department with the word "disarmament" in its name will remain in the past, the modern structure will include the Department of International Security and Defense of Ukraine.

The Department of the US and Canada will be separated from the Department of Latin America and the Caribbean. Sybiha also said that the Department of Unfriendly Countries is being created.

"This will include not only Russia, but also its allies, such as North Korea or Belarus. This is not about bilateral relations, but about countering threats. Ukraine defends itself from full-scale aggression and our policy should prioritize the neutralization of threats. This department will be overseen by the first deputy," he said.

Central Asia will be placed in a separate department, which indicates special attention to it. A separate department for sanctions policy is also being created, previously the issue of sanctions was "scattered" between different departments.

A separate NATO department will also be created in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which indicates the priority of the path to joining the Alliance, previously integration into the EU and NATO was combined into one EU and NATO department, now there will be a European Union department and a NATO department.

According to Sybiha, special attention is paid to Ukrainians abroad, if previously the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a department for Ukrainians abroad, now a separate department for world Ukrainians and humanitarian cooperation is being created, which indicates the priority of developing ties and interaction with the global Ukrainian community.

The Department of International Law and International Legal Counteraction to Aggression will deal, in particular, with holding russia and russians accountable for the atrocities committed. There will also be such separate units as the Cyber ​​Diplomacy Department and the Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Sector.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, in September 2024, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Andrii Sybiha as Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had held the position of First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs since April 2024. Prior to that, since June 2021, he was Deputy Head of the President's Office. In 2016-2021, Sybiha was Ukraine's Ambassador to Turkey.