Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Rozenko during a bilateral meeting with Minister of Investments and International Cooperation of Egypt H.E. Dr. Sahar Nasr called on the leadership of Egypt to close their ports for ships carrying  goods from Crimea.

"Ukraine is now undergoing difficult times  because of the Russian aggression. In this difficult struggle for independence and territorial integrity, the support of the African continent, in particular,  Egypt is of utmost importance important to us. On behalf of the Ukrainian side, I appeal to the authorities of Egypt to restrict access and refrain from issuing permits for entering Egyptian ports of ships under the flags of third states that carry out illegal loading in  Crimea,"  Pavlo Rozenko stressed.

"For us, this is a very sensitive issue, and we once again call on the Egyptian side to consider it. In accordance with the international law, this can be characterized as a smuggling activity ", the Vice Prime Minister said.

 During the meeting, the sides tackled the issues of stepping up bilateral contacts and deepening cooperation in all spheres. "We have every opportunity to enhance our collaboration  - from agriculture to the military, space industry, etc.,"  Pavlo Rozenko underscored.