Top Ukrainian diplomat meets South African minister to discuss bilateral ties, peace efforts with Russia

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who accompanied President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his first official visit to the Republic of South Africa, met with the host country's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on Thursday and discussed ongoing peace efforts with Russia.

In a statement, Sybiha said he updated Lamola on Ukraine’s ongoing peace efforts, including recent discussions in Paris and London, reiterating Kyiv’s aim to end the war this year through active cooperation with international partners.

“We want to end this war this year. And we are working with partners to achieve it,” Sybiha said in a statement, emphasizing Ukraine’s commitment to peace.

The two officials also explored ways to strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors such as food security, agricultural technology, education, and digitalization.

Sybiha noted appreciation for South Africa’s G20 presidency and its focus on equitable global governance and development priorities for Africa.

“President Zelenskyy's visit, although cut short because of the massive Russian air attack against Ukraine, is a milestone in our bilateral relations,” he said. “We are working to translate the diplomatic activity into success stories for both countries.”

Zelenskyy, who arrived in Pretoria for a two-day state visit, announced earlier that he partially canceled the program due to Russian airstrikes the day before and will return to Ukraine sooner than planned.