OYO /Republic of the Congo/, June 4. /TASS/. Peace talks on Ukraine should certainly involve Russia, Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Congo Jean-Claude Gakosso said.

"Peace talks are to be held between the two major parties to the conflict. And we cannot ignore the fact that Russia possesses nuclear weapons," he told a news conference after talks with his visiting Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

In this light, he said that he doubts that the international conference on Ukraine in Switzerland has peaceful goals, since Russia has not been invited.

Lavrov arrived on a visit in the Republic of the Congo on June 3. This year, the two countries are marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The two countries are maintaining ties at various level, including at the top level. On July 29, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his visiting Congolese counterpart, Denis Sassou Nguesso, as part of the Russia-Africa summit.