Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba signed a memorandum on political consultations with his Zambian counterpart, Mulambo Haimbe, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 6.
Kuleba visited Zambia in the second leg of his fourth African tour, which aims to strengthen ties with African countries. Ukraine's diplomacy chief previously visited Malawi and is scheduled to head to Mauritius next.
"We discussed ways to advance bilateral relations between Ukraine and Zambia, as well as our cooperation in international organizations," Kuleba wrote on X.
The memorandum on political consultations "will structure a long-term dialogue" between Ukraine and Zambia, according to Kuleba.
Kuleba met with Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera in Lilongwe the day prior, thanking the country for its consistent stance on Russian aggression while highlighting Ukraine's humanitarian assistance.
Ukraine and Malawi also discussed the potential for cooperation in agriculture, the pharmaceutical sector, digitalization, and other fields.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in December 2023 that developing ties with African countries is one of Ukraine's foreign policy priorities for 2024.
Unlike Kyiv, Moscow has long nurtured good relations with the governments on the African continent. Mali and Niger, two African countries with warm ties to Russia, recently severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov toured Africa in July 2022, February 2023, and June 2024 to ramp up support for Moscow and blame Ukraine for a lack of food supplies largely caused by Russia's attempted Black Sea blockade.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
