Ukraine eyes sister-city ties, trade opportunities with Cebu

The first resident Ambassador of Ukraine to the Philippines, Yuliia Fediv, made her inaugural visit to Cebu this week as part of efforts to build deeper bilateral and regional partnerships between the two nations, with plans to establish sister-city relationships between Ukrainian and Cebuano cities and expand cooperation in trade, digital innovation, and creative industries.

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The visit facilitated by Ukraine’s partner in Cebu, Curtis Vincent Go, marks an important step in Ukraine’s new diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia following the opening of its Manila embassy in December 2024.

Fediv, who assumed her post in March 2025, said her mission in Cebu underscores Ukraine’s strategy to promote “decentralized diplomacy” and foster people-to-people and local government cooperation across the Philippines.

“Regional diplomacy is a priority for us,” Fediv said in an interview during her two-day engagement with local government and business leaders.

“We are here to introduce Ukrainian cities to their potential partners in Cebu and the Visayas, and to plant the seeds for lasting city-to-city, business-to-business, and people-to-people cooperation,” the lady Ambassador said.