Sybiha announces new structure within MFA, recalls chargé d'affaires in Georgia

As reported by Ukrinform, newly appointed Ukraine’s Foreign Minister announced this on Facebook, noting that Ukrainian diplomacy should work for the Defense Forces on a daily basis.

Ukraine’s top diplomat also defined the MFA’s priority tasks and assured that the Ministry’s coordinating role will increase.

According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should correspond to the realities of the country at war, as well as embody the best practices of modern diplomacy.

"I have listed very clear criteria of efficient work of a Ukrainian ambassador. These are concrete results, courage and proactivity. The ambassadors of a country at war cannot be detached from the realia of war. In connection with this I adopted the decision to recall the acting Ukrainian chargé d'affaires in Georgia," the minister said.

He emphasized that today every ambassador should be "a playing coach who does not wait for instructions from the center, but acts proactively, takes responsibility and demonstrates the strength of Ukrainian diplomacy by his own example."

Sybiha expressed his conviction that Ukrainian diplomacy is capable of what is usually called impossible: "We have proven it more than once. And now, more than ever, we must do everything in our power so that Ukraine can win, restore security, and win a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace."

Finally, Ukraine’s newly appointed Foreign Minister announced his first staff decisions.

"There will be a new structure within the Ministry, staff schedules of the embassies will be reviewed. We need young people to join us. All circumstances will be created for this – I have planned a meeting with the heads of leading universities in this sector,” Sybiha emphasized.

Sybiha noted that he had announced the suspension of a long-term mission of the acting chargé d'affaires in Georgia due to his "complete misunderstanding of the realia of diplomacy of a country at war", and also submitted a request to dismiss Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Iryna Borovets. 

As reported by Ukrinform earlier, on September 5, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the resignation of Dmytro Kuleba from the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and appointed Andrii Sybiha as the new head of the Foreign Ministry.