President Cyril Ramaphosa with the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Denmark, Mark Rutte and Mette Frederiksen, respectively. Picture: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS
President Cyril Ramaphosa believes their peace mission in Ukraine and Russia was successful and would serve as a building block in fostering peace.
Ramaphosa, who was meeting with the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Denmark, Mark Rutte and Mette Frederiksen respectively, on Tuesday during their joint working visit said they will continue to call for peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Ramaphosa was part of six heads of state and government who travelled to Ukraine and Russia where they met with presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
They met with Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday and then travelled to St Petersburg to meet with Putin on Saturday.
After the meetings with the two leaders Ramaphosa said there will be further engagements.
He said they will meet again with Putin during the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg in July.
In the intervening period they will engage with Zelensky.
Ramaphosa said they believe their visit was successful.
“We believe that our mission was successful in registering the willingness of African leaders to contribute to a negotiated peace and to highlight the broader effects of the conflict. We hope that it will contribute in some way towards international peace efforts,” said Ramaphosa.
He said the war has had a huge impact on Africa.
This was due to the increase in fuel and food prices since the war began in February last year.
Ramaphosa aid as African leaders they were concerned about the rise in commodity prices.
“We used the meetings to highlight the damaging effect that this conflict is having on African countries and economies, contributing to food shortages and a rise in the cost of living,” said Ramaphosa.
They believe there is hope for peace in Ukraine if the negotiations can continue.
They believe the only solution to the war was through the negotiating table.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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