Cabinet says the recent African Peace Mission to Ukraine and the Russian Federation underscored South Africa’s principled position of non-alignment and the country’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“The mission emphasised the need for a de-escalation of the conflict to allow negotiations to commence with urgency, the return of children taken from the Ukraine, the release of prisoners of war, and creation of corridors to facilitate for greater humanitarian assistance,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said during a post-cabinet briefing on Thursday.
African Heads of State from Senegal, Comoros, Zambia and South Africa, together with the Prime Minister of Egypt and envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda travelled to Ukraine and the Russian Federation to hold talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader President Vladimir Putin last weekend.
Cabinet, said the Minister, welcomed a briefing by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the mission, and also noted that President Zelensky and President Putin had welcomed the African peace initiative and committed to further engagements with African leaders on matters raised towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“Cabinet welcomed the appreciation expressed by global leaders of the value of this African Leaders’ Peace Initiative towards finding a peaceful resolution of the conflict as expressed by the Prime Ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands, as well as the Foreign Minister of France, amongst others.
“Following the peace mission, South Africa will participate in the African Union-Russia Summit in Moscow in July, on the sidelines of which our government will also take the opportunity to further engage Russia on matters the two Presidents undertook to give their consideration,” Ntshavheni said.
Meanwhile, Cabinet said it noted the unfortunate events that unfolded when the flight that transported South African presidential security personnel and media representatives to Poland en route to Ukraine and Russia, landed in Warsaw, Poland.
Ntshavheni said Cabinet deemed the event as unfortunate as everything was done properly.
“On our part everything was done according to normal protocols that are done. There were no dangerous goods on the plane, but weapons that protect that forms the protection of our President.
“It is normal [for] all Presidents as they travel internationally, that they travel with their security and their weapons, and the permits that are allowed for them to come in,” the Minister explained.
She said DIRCO and the Police Ministry will give further details on the matter.
“Cabinet noted that the Department of International Relations and Cooperation will pursue discussions on this matter through the appropriate diplomatic mechanisms and channels,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
