On 16–17 September, the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine held a training session on ‘Features of working in African, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries.’

The event was organised by the Professional Training Centre for diplomatic service officials with the aim of deepening Ukrainian diplomats' knowledge of political processes, economic trends and cultural characteristics of these three key regions of the world.

Anastasia Kosenko-Sologub, an expert on Latin America and the Caribbean and a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, spoke about the specifics of working in Latin American countries. She focused on the historical development of the region, current trends, the role of leading states and alliances in Latin America, and outlined the key challenges for diplomats.

Ihor Semyvolos, Director of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, gave a lecture on the specifics of working in the Middle East. The main topics of discussion were the peculiarities of states with complex ethno-confessional and political characteristics, such as Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. The speaker paid special attention to the issue of escalating relations between Middle Eastern countries and the overall situation in the region.

Oleksandr Mishyn, counsellor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, PhD in Political Science, lecturer at the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, co-founder of the Centre for African Studies, shared his knowledge about the African continent. He outlined the key approaches of the European community to contemporary Africa and the peculiarities of the development of the Sub-Saharan region. The lecturer also raised the issue of peacebuilding in African countries and the development of Ukrainian-African relations.

The online course became a platform for professional discussion and deepening knowledge about regions that are playing an increasingly important role in contemporary international relations. We sincerely thank all participants and lecturers for their interest in this important topic.