African effort to settle Ukraine crisis to continue in order to achieve peace: Egypt’s PM

CAIRO – 17 June 2023: Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said the African efforts to settle the Russia-Ukraine crisis will continue in order to reach the ultimate goal of achieving peace.

Madbouli made the remarks while participating, on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, in an expanded meeting between the leaders of African Peace Initiative and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg to end Russia-Ukraine conflict.

 

Egypt is strongly in favor of any efforts aiming at resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, Madbouli said, adding that African efforts will continue to achieve the noble goal of peace.

This joint endeavor is based on African leaders' recognition of the depth of the crisis as well as its severe impacts on the peoples of both sides of the conflict parties and African citizens alike, Madbouli said, highlighting the conflict grave consequences on peoples' wealth and food security.

 

He added that the genuine efforts exerted by African leaders on that score are aimed at a comprehensive and sustainable solution, which cannot be achieved except through listening to the voice of reason and abandoning the language of force.

Madbouli arrived in Russia along with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Saturday as part of the African peace initiative that seeks to put an end to the Ukraine crisis.

The African delegation includes the presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Comoros and Zambia, and representatives of Uganda and the Republic of the Congo, in addition to Egypt.

Meeting with Zelensky

Yesterday, the delegation met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the African peace initiative that aims to implement a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and pave the way for ending the conflict that erupted in February 2022.

In a joint press conference with Zelensky and the African leaders, Madbouli asserted that the Russian-Ukrainian crisis had affected the African continent and its peoples.

The African citizen was affected by the crisis in his daily life as he felt a shortage in fertilizers and grains, especially that Russia and Ukraine’s wheat exports amounting to 23 percent of the whole world’s wheat exports, Madbouli said.

He further noted that African leaders are keen on exerting efforts to stop bloodshed, as well as facing consequences affecting the Russian, Ukrainian and African citizens.

“President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has assigned me to participate in today’s event within Egypt’s strong support to efforts exerted to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian crisis,” Madbouli said.

This comes as the military conflict has killed a number of military men and civilians as well as displacing millions of civilians, the premier added.

Since the beginning of the crisis, Egypt had adopted a stance that supports the UN charter and principles of the international law, he said.

Egypt’s stance aims at ending conflict through reaching a ceasefire and engaging in constructive talks in order to reach just and sustainable settlement that guarantees international peace and security, as well as bringing an end to humanitarian suffering, Madbouli said.