Photo: Chinese Embassy to Ukraine

Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun met with Iryna Ovcharenko, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine, and Serhii Tkachuk, head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection on Monday. On behalf of China's General Administration of Customs, Ambassador Ma signed with Tkachuk the protocol on inspection, quarantine and sanitary requirements for Ukrainian wheat flour exported to China.

Ambassador Ma spoke positively about China-Ukraine cooperation in agriculture, saying the signing of the protocol will further expand bilateral cooperation in agricultural trade and enrich the content of the China-Ukraine strategic partnership. He said agricultural cooperation between the two countries is highly complementary and holds great potential, and that China is willing to further strengthen relevant cooperation with Ukraine for the benefit of both peoples, according to a release from the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine.

Ovcharenko said that China is Ukraine's largest trading partner and an important destination for Ukrainian agricultural exports, expressing confidence that the protocol will create a new growth point for bilateral agricultural trade. She thanked the teams on both sides for their long-term efforts in negotiating bilateral protocols on market access for agricultural products, and said Ukraine is willing to continue expanding the range of agricultural products it exports to China, according to the release.

Tkachuk said Ukraine will ensure the quality and standards of agricultural products exported to China, and is willing to work with the Chinese side to further strengthen cooperation in agricultural trade and enhance the position of both countries' agricultural products in the international market, per the release.