Sybiha: Several Strong Candidates Have Declined Position Of Ukraine's Ambassador To US

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) According to Ukrinform, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this in an interview with the Ambassadors program broadcast on Ukrainian Radio.

Commenting on whether the results of the U.S. elections could affect the appointment of an ambassador, the Foreign Minister explained that the decisive factor was not the political situation but rather the candidate's professional and personal qualities.

"No, these elections have absolutely nothing to do with the appointment of an ambassador. We are looking primarily at the stature of the individual. Finding a suitable candidate for the position of Ukraine's ambassador to the United States is a very challenging task. The President has already spoken about this publicly. Several people-genuinely strong candidates who were offered the position-have declined. Therefore, the matter remains unresolved for now, and the President is still considering his options," the Foreign Minister said.

At the same time, Sybiha assured that diplomatic operations in the United States were continuing as usual and that the embassy had sufficient staff to carry out its duties.

"But I always emphasize this: the absence of an ambassador does not mean that the embassy is not functioning. A chargé d'affaires has been appointed. We have a highly professional team working at the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States. There are also many Ukrainian consulates general across the United States, and, as a matter of fact, we are now planning to strengthen the staffing of these institutions," Sybiha said.

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Among the Foreign Ministry's priorities, the minister specifically highlighted consular services for Ukrainians abroad and strengthening the staffing of the relevant diplomatic institutions.

"In general, consular affairs are a separate area that is also an extremely high priority and important to me. We will be expanding our presence in this area, including through the appointment of consuls general. The heads of these institutions play a very important role," the Foreign Minister noted.

Sybiha also said that the ministry planned to complete the appointment of heads of consular institutions abroad in the near future. In particular, a new Consul General of Ukraine in New York is to be appointed.

He explained that the position was especially important given the number of delegations visiting New York and the size of the Ukrainian community living in the United States, particularly in that city.

As Ukrinform previously reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that before making a decision on the appointment of a new Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, he was awaiting detailed information about potential candidates from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

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