Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha arrived in South Africa on Oct. 27 for a two-day visit to meet his South African counterpart Ronald Lamola and other top officials and public leaders.
The visit to Johannesburg and Pretoria will conclude Sybiha's tour across the Middle East and the African continent as he seeks to strengthen ties and drum up support for Ukraine's peace formula.
Apart from government officials, Ukraie's chief diplomat will also meet South African business leaders and the expert community, namely the research and teaching staff of the University of Pretoria, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The discussions will focus on Ukraine-South Africa cooperation, the role of the peace formula "as a single path to a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace," and relations with South Africa as the presiding member of the G20 in 2025.
South Africa, the largest economy on the continent, has claimed neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war but continued to strengthen its economic and political ties with Moscow. The country is a member of the BRICS group alongside Russia, China, and others, and it even carried out joint naval drills with the two countries last year.
Sybiha previously visited Oman, Angola, and Egypt within the tour. His predecessor, Dmytro Kuleba, carried out four diplomatic tours across Africa as part of Kyiv's efforts to bolster ties in the Global South and challenge Russian influence abroad.
Countries in the Middle East and Africa have been the main buyers of Ukrainian agricultural products. Kyiv has maintained the exports despite Russia's Black Sea blockade and threats to maritime shipping.
Ray Hartley
(Updated: )
