Dirco minister Naledi Pandor. File photo: Katlholo Maifadi/Dirco.
International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor has said they will continue with peace efforts in Russia and Ukraine.
This is despite an attempted mutiny by the Wagner Group, under its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Russia at the weekend.
Prigozhin pulled back his troops after an intervention by the president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The Wagner Group has now moved to Belarus where they will set up a base.
Pandor said the events of the weekend would not derail any of their plans to continue with efforts to find lasting peace to the conflict in Ukraine.
President Cyril Ramaphosa had led six heads of state and government from Africa to Kyiv and St Peteresburg where they met with Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
Pandor, who was hosting her counterpart from Germany Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday to discuss a range of issues, said the peace efforts by the African leaders will continue.
The African leaders are expected to meet with Putin in St Petersburg at the end of July. This will be during the Russia-Africa summit.
Ramaphosa had said earlier that in the intervening period, they will also meet with Zelensky.
Pandor said the issue of finding peace in Ukraine was important.
She added that she will continue to brief Baerbock on progress made.
“I also did undertake that I will keep you briefed as the seven presidents were part of the Africa peace mission and continue with that work. I did indicate to you that both presidents Zelensky and Putin have committed to a further meeting with the African leaders and have been very open to some of the matters that the seven leaders placed before them. We are very keen that the war between Russia and Ukraine should come to a close. We would like to see peace in the international community and we would like to see the world going back to addressing the developmental challenges that confront so many people throughout the world,” said Pandor.
The initiative by the African leaders was part of several other peace plans by other countries.
Ramaphosa had said they were part of global efforts to end the war.
The war in Ukraine has also had an impact on the African continent and other parts of the world.
There has been an increase in commodity prices.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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