April 17 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Friday for joint efforts for an effective mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and said Kyiv’s wartime experience in the Black Sea could help.
“Decisions made regarding Hormuz now will determine how other aggressive actors perceive the possibility of creating problems in other straits and on other fronts,” Zelenskiy said in remarks to a video conference attended by 50 countries and chaired by France and Britain.
“We need to be as specific and clear as possible so that in six months we don’t find ourselves in the same situation as in Gaza, where much still needs to be done.”
“In Hormuz, there are security challenges that cannot be addressed by political decisions alone,” he added, without elaborating.
Zelenskiy, whose remarks appeared on the Telegram messaging app, said that in the course of four years of war with Russia, Ukraine had “already carried out a very similar mission in the Black Sea”.
“Russia also attempted to blockade our sea and we have experience in escorting merchant vessels, demining, defending against air attacks and the overall coordination of such operations,” he said.
Ukraine, he said, had sent specialists throughout the Middle East to help countries benefit from its experience in defending against Russian drones, many designed in Iran.
“We can also contribute to maritime security,” he said.
Ukraine has clinched security cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and says it is In talks with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksandr Kozhukhar; Editing by Alistair Bell)
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