Ukraine invites South Africa to take part in Global Peace Summit

Ukraine seeks to bring cooperation with the Republic of South Africa to a new level and invited the country to participate in the Global Peace Summit.

Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, stated this during negotiations with the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Naledi Pandor, in Pretoria, Rubryka reports.

"To develop the renaissance of Ukrainian-African relations, Ukraine seeks to bring cooperation with the Republic of South Africa to a qualitatively new level. We offer a partnership based on mutual respect and benefit. And I am glad that the government of South Africa shares our desire," Kuleba said.

He informed his colleague about the situation at the front and the devastating consequences of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

In this context, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy highly appreciated the participation of South Africa in efforts to promote the Peace Formula of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The minister invited South Africa to participate in the Global Peace Summit, which Ukraine is currently preparing.

Kuleba also raised the issue of the illegal abduction of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.

The parties paid special attention to the export of Ukrainian grains and food security in Africa. Kuleba invited South Africa to join the global humanitarian initiative "Grain from Ukraine."

The ministers also discussed intensifying cooperation in the digitalization of public services. The Ukrainian foreign minister noted that Ukraine was ready to share its advanced experience of creating a "state in a smartphone."

He also proposed to hold a business forum in Kyiv in the near future with the participation of Ukrainian and South African businesses to increase trade volumes and implement mutually beneficial economic projects.

The ministers agreed to hold regular political consultations of the ministries of foreign affairs and senior diplomats.

They also discussed cooperation between Ukraine and South Africa within the African Union, communications with African countries, and Ukraine's participation in African mechanisms of simplified and free trade.

The ministers signed a memorandum on developing cooperation in diplomatic education and research. The head of Ukrainian diplomacy invited Naledi Pandor to visit Ukraine at a time convenient for her.

Background

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba began his official visit to the Republic of South Africa — the first diplomatic trip since 1998.

The program of the visit includes, among other things, his lecture to students and teachers of the University of Pretoria and the opening of the virtual reality exhibition "Living the War" about the consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine at the Javett Arts Center at the university.

The visit to South Africa is Kuleba's fourth trip to Africa. The first took place in October 2022 (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Kenya), the second in May 2023 (Morocco, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mozambique and Nigeria), and the third in July 2023 (Equatorial Guinea and Liberia ).

On November 2, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan: they discussed the export of Ukrainian grain to world markets and the security situation in the Black Sea region.