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G20 chair South Africa not aiming for Ukraine consensus — Lavrov

The Russian top diplomat noted that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola had confirmed the need to adhere to the G20’s agreed mandate

JOHANNESBURG, February 21. /TASS/. South African representatives have not set a goal of reaching a consensus on the Ukraine crisis within the framework of their chairmanship in the Group of Twenty (G20), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on the results of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"I am unaware that the South Africans had this goal, at least, I was closely observing how they assumed their chairmanship and how our sherpas were working. They did not have such a goal," the top Russian diplomat said, replying to a question on the matter.

Lavrov added that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola had confirmed the need to adhere to the G20’s agreed mandate.

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