MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Russia is ready to examine proposals by African and Latin American countries on resolving the ongoing Ukraine crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.
Russia’s top diplomat made this statement at a press conference following talks with his Belarusian counterpart Sergey Aleinik.
"[Belarusian Foreign Minister] Sergey [Aleinik] recalled that there were other initiatives - … a Brazilian initiative and an initiative of the South African president," Lavrov stated.
"In both cases we responded to initiatives from Latin American and African friends that we were ready to consider any of their proposals that were prompted by a sincere desire to help stabilize the world order. But so far, unlike our Chinese neighbors, we have not seen documents on the issue either from the Brazilians or the Africans," he added.
"We have confirmed our readiness to maintain contacts whenever they are interested, because it is in our interests to deliver to as many as possible of our partners on all continents the logic that becomes clear to an independent observer," Lavrov stated.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on May 16 that the governments of Russia and Ukraine had agreed to receive an African delegation, whose goal is to find a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian conflict.
He added that he had discussed the possibility with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky, who agreed to receive the African delegation in Moscow and Kiev.
Broad consultations
The peace initiative is being developed by the leaders of Egypt, Zambia, the Comoro Islands (who now hold the rotating presidency of the African Union), the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Uganda and South Africa.
These countries are now trying to persuade UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and other countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, to support the African initiative.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had already informed US President Joe Biden about it. Officials in Pretoria say that Washington and London have signaled their "cautious support" for the peace plan.
On Tuesday, Ramaphosa expressed hope that the African initiative will be actively discussed by the parties involved. The main provisions of the plan have not yet been officially disclosed. However, according to information circulating in Pretoria, the document includes a provision on immediate ceasefire and designates the United Nations as the main platform for the Ukrainian peace process.