Ukraine to open two new halal hubs 

Ukraine plans to open two additional halal hubs supported by Malaysia, a government official has said. 

Currently, the country has one halal hub certified by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). 

Denys Mykhailiuk, Charges d’ Affaires and interim of the Ukraine embassy in Malaysia said that discussions have taken place with Malaysia to ensure that halal certification in Ukraine would be recognised by Malaysian authorities, Malaysia state-run news agency Bernama reported. 

“Ukraine exports products to traditional markets such as North Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council, which demands halal certification.” 

“This is very vital because every Ukrainian product which will be certified with JAKIM will have Malaysian certification, so it is direct marketing for Malaysia.” 

Defence collaboration 

Ukraine’s deputy economy minister, Taras Kachka has said that the country views Malaysia as a key entry point for expanding collaborations in the ASEAN region’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and drone sectors. 

Malaysia is the most advanced in ASEAN regarding infrastructure, semiconductor spare parts supply and skilled manpower, Kachka said, adding that discussions on potential collaborations are ongoing between companies from both nations. 

Kachka was on a working visit to Malaysia where he co-chaired the Malaysia-Ukraine joint trade committee meeting. 

“The usage of UAVs in Ukraine is so high that it grabs all the engineers’ resources, that is why the knowledge developed in Ukraine is used in Malaysia. That is why we are going to support the cooperation in this area since we need strong supply chains of spare parts."

Malaysian companies have shown a strong interest in UAV technology, particularly for border surveillance in dense jungle areas, which are challenging to patrol with manpower alone.