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South African Cabinet calls for urgent beginning of peace talks on Ukrainian crisis

The statement underscores that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky welcomed the African peace initiative and took upon themselves obligations to continue their cooperation with the African leaders on issues that contribute to peaceful settlement of the conflict

PRETORIA, June 22. /TASS/. The South African Cabinet called to immediately begin negotiations between the sides involved in the Ukrainian crisis, the Cabinet said in a statement Thursday.

"Cabinet welcomed a briefing by President Ramaphosa on the recent African Peace Mission to Ukraine and the Russian Federation," reads the statement, published on the government website. "The Mission emphasized the need for a de-escalation of the conflict to allow negotiations to commence with urgency."

"The Mission underscored South Africa’s principled position of non-alignment and the country’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict," the statement reads.

The statement underscores that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky welcomed the African peace initiative and took upon themselves obligations to continue their cooperation with the African leaders on issues that contribute to peaceful settlement of the conflict.

"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," the statement reads. "President Ramaphosa’s National Security Advisor, Prof Fholisani Sydney Mufamadi, will attend a Peace Summit, convened by President Zelenksy, that will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in August."

A delegation from seven African countries, including the presidents of Zambia, the Comoros, Senegal and South Africa; the prime minister of Egypt; and presidential envoys from the Republic of the Congo and Uganda, visited Kiev on June 16 for talks with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. The next day, the mission was received by Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. On June 17, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, on behalf of the delegation, presented a ten-point plan that could help lay the foundation for a peace process in Ukraine. It was agreed that during the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg in July, the mission would continue consultations on the matter with the Russian side. The format and timetable of its consultations with Kiev have not yet been disclosed.

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