Africa-Press – South-Africa. The prime ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands told President Cyril Ramaphosa that South Africa’s peace efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine were welcomed.
On Tuesday, Ramaphosa hosted Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen for a working visit at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.
The state visit comes days after Ramaphosa returned from a peace-brokering initiative to Ukraine and Russia.
At the weekend, he met with the leaders of the two warring countries, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
The ongoing war, which was sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, continues to concern global leaders.
The president and other African leaders had hoped the trip would be a first step in talks to end the war.
Ramaphosa labelled the visit a “success” and repeated the same mantra when speaking to Rutte and Frederiksen.
“Among other things, we called for a de-escalation of fighting and for negotiations to commence with urgency; for the release of prisoners of war and return of children; for greater humanitarian support; and for reconstruction efforts to be prioritised,” Ramaphosa said.
“We used the meetings to highlight the damaging effect that this conflict is having on African countries and economies, contributing to food shortages and a rise in the cost of living. We believe that our mission was successful in registering the willingness of African leaders to contribute to a negotiated peace and to highlight the broader effects of the conflict. We hope that it will contribute in some way towards international peace efforts.”
Frederiksen said: “We welcome your engagement in the war in Europe, and you have said it clearly that you have to be involved in our conflicts as well, and this is common ground for all of us.”
Rutte said talks about the war had to be continued because “it is important that we stabilise the situation”.
The SA government has been widely criticised for its non-aligned stance on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
While South Africa is facing pressure, multiple political events in the coming months, including Putin’s possible visit to the country in August for the BRICS Summit, will test whether harsher pressure will be mounted on the country.
The visit by the two European leaders included discussions on various matters, including energy, trade and business opportunities.
During his opening remarks, Rutte mentioned that he was most interested in South Africa’s energy transition efforts.
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