AA / Istanbul / Alperen Aktaş
The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, has multiplied high -level meetings with his African counterparts on the sidelines of the Antalya diplomacy forum, calling for strengthening cooperation and increased support for Ukraine peace efforts, as well as common initiatives to improve food security and regional stability.
During its exchanges with the representatives of Gambia, Tunisia, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Angola, Rwanda and Somalia, Sybiha expressed its recognition for their position of principle in favor of the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine, especially in the United Nations forums.
“These are common principles,” he said during an interview with the Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mamadou Tangara. He praised Banjul’s decision to appoint his ambassador to Türkiye as a non -resident ambassador to Ukraine, qualifying this gesture as a “mark of respect”.
In addition, Sybiha stressed the effects of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine on global food systems, claiming that this conflict has had “serious repercussions on Africa, such as food insecurity and regional instability”. He insisted that a just peace in Ukraine would also be in the interest of the African continent.
During his meeting with the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Nafti, Sybiha welcomed Tunisia’s vote in favor of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly and reaffirmed the joint attachment to the United Nations Charter. With his Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta, he discussed the ongoing peace efforts and put forward constructive dialogue between kyiv and Kigali in recent years.
-The Head of Ukrainian diplomacy also expressed the will of his country to expand cooperation in the fields of agriculture, education and technologies with several African partners, notably Benin, Angola and Côte d’Ivoire. He also said he was ready to support projects such as the Lobito corridor in Angola and the agricultural self -sufficiency of Gambia, by sharing Ukrainian expertise and technologies.
“We are interested in mutually beneficial cooperation which promotes national autonomy, in particular in the fields of education, agriculture and food security,” he said after his interview with Mahmoud Thabit Combo, Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs.
In an important diplomatic development, Sybiha signed a protocol establishing diplomatic relations with Somalia and spoke of the continuation of support in the “Ukraine cereals” initiative. “We are ready to continue to strengthen food security,” he said.
Finally, during these exchanges, Sybiha expressed the intention of Ukraine to strengthen its institutional links with the African Union. He also invited his counterparts from Gambia, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and other countries to make an official visit to Ukraine in the near future.
* Translated from English by Adama Bamba
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