South Africa considers mediating peace talks between Ukraine, Russia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
10 May 2023 21:53

South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor said her country is seeking opportunities to engage in the attempts of establishing a dialogue between Moscow and Kiev.

South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor photographed on May 9, 2023. (Government of SA).

Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said on Wednesday that South Africa has the capacity to act as a mediator in the peace dialogue between Ukraine and Russia at the first opportunity presented.

Naledi raised to attention that South Africa maintains contact with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy and that South Africa is paying close attention to the situation around the conflict.

She noted her country is seeking opportunities to engage in the attempts of establishing a dialogue between Moscow and Kiev.

She further said that Western-led sanctions had a "secondary" effect in undermining the needs of other countries, causing them to "suffer."

She also raised to attention the difficulty of transferring funds to employees of the South African embassy in Moscow due to Russia being cut out from the SWIFT system.

Because of this, authorities in the country are "forced" to transport cash physically to Moscow in order to finance their embassy in Russia.

The African country is due to host a BRICS summit in August in which Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to take part.

However, since an arrest warrant has been issued against Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Moscow said in April it will need to clarify South Africa's position on its membership at the Hague.

Last month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party considers withdrawing South Africa's membership from the ICC after the arrest warrant was issued against Putin.

He later retracted his comments, noting there was "an error" in Ramaphosa's comments and that the country would remain in the ICC.