Ukraine – ASEAN: new opportunities for strengthening partnership

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive scientific analysis of the current state of relations between Ukraine and ASEAN. The article considers promising areas of cooperation between them in the areas of food, agriculture, digitalisation, trade, energy, disaster management, demining, and socio-cultural cooperation. The author outlines Ukraine’s advantages in the field of agriculture and its ability to make a significant contribution to the sustainable supply of products to the ASEAN markets, given the production potential that far exceeds the needs of the domestic market. The article considers Ukraine’s readiness to share its experience in the field of digitalisation, given the existence of successful projects, such as the Diia mobile application developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine in 2019; the ‘Trembita’ system for electronic interaction of state electronic information resources; and experience in disaster prevention. And to learn from the experience of ASEAN member states in demining agricultural land in de-occupied communities, given their unique experience in demining in Cambodia, where years of war left a significant number of mines. It is proposed to develop and strengthen partnerships between the parties in the socio-cultural sphere to promote contemporary Ukrainian cinema, music, theatre, performance, literature, classical and contemporary fine arts. A separate area of this sphere is the promotion of the Ukrainian language among ASEAN countries, as well as the promotion of Ukrainian cultural heritage and projects in the field of culture and art of indigenous peoples and national minorities, including the promotion of Crimean Tatar culture in ASEAN countries.