Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the Republic of South Africa on April 10, a spokesman for the South African presidency announced, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
According to the spokesman, the visit is part of the “continued commitment“ to a “comprehensive peace process“ between Russia and Ukraine.
“This visit is a continuation of the commitments made by President Cyril Ramaphosa with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky to support a peace process that will pave the way for a lasting agreement,“ the spokesperson said.
At the G20 summit in Johannesburg in late February, Pretoria called for a dialogue to resolve the Ukrainian conflict involving “all parties”. The call came days after US-Russian talks were held, in which Ukraine was not included. President Ramaphosa then extended an official invitation to Volodymyr Zelensky for a state visit.
“South Africa remains committed to supporting the dialogue process between Russia and Ukraine“, said Ramaphosa, who is often associated with close ties to the Kremlin.
Following a telephone conversation between the two presidents, Zelensky thanked Ramaphosa on social media for his support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“It is important that our countries share the same position: nothing for Ukraine without Ukraine“, the Ukrainian president stressed.