LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is gearing up for the fifth installment of its Meet the Diplomat Series (MDS) on 29 July 2026. The sessions will feature Her Excellency Yuliia Fediv, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Philippines, who will discuss opportunities to expand agricultural markets, strengthen trade access in Southeast Asia, and advance the growing economic and agricultural partnership between Ukraine and the Philippines. This upcoming event marks a milestone for the series, following four successful installments that featured agricultural and bilateral perspectives from diplomatic representatives of Thailand, Spain, Vietnam, and the European Union.
Anchored in SEARCA's 12th Five-Year Development Plan: Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia), the MDS serves as a platform for bridging diplomacy, science, and policy. Through this series, SEARCA reinforces its active engagement with embassies and international partners by fostering substantive, high-level exchanges on foreign policy priorities, joint development initiatives, and cross-border collaborations in agricultural technology, education, research, and rural innovation.
By bringing together diplomatic officials, policymakers, researchers, academics, development professionals, and youth leaders, the session aims to cultivate a dynamic environment for collaborative dialogue. As Ukraine and Southeast Asian nations navigate shared global challenges—ranging from supply chain disruptions to climate vulnerabilities—this installment of the MDS reaffirms SEARCA's enduring commitment to building cross-regional partnerships that drive sustainable agricultural transformation.