Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba starts his third tour of African countries, on July 23-24 the foreign minister will visit Equatorial Guinea for the first time, the ministry’s press service reports.
“Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit the African continent for the third time amid the worsening global food crisis following Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. On July 23-24, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister will start his tour with a visit to Equatorial Guinea. The visit will be the first in the history of diplomatic relations,” the statement said, published on Sunday morning.
It is noted that in Malabo, the Foreign Minister will hold talks with the leadership of Equatorial Guinea on the development of bilateral relations, increasing trade, as well as on ensuring food security in Africa and support for the “Formula of Peace” of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The press service reminds that in January 2022, the African Strategy of Ukraine was approved. Within the framework of this strategy, contacts with African countries were significantly intensified through the Ukrainian President, the Foreign Ministry and parliamentary diplomacy.
Kuleba made his first African tour in October 2022, where he visited Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Kenya, and his second tour in May 2023, visiting Morocco, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mozambique and Nigeria.
“Developing relations with African countries strengthens the global coalition in support of Ukraine against the backdrop of Russian aggression and creates new opportunities for Ukrainian businesses and citizens. The third African tour of Dmitry Kuleba is a continuation of the African strategy and the renaissance of Ukrainian-African relations”, – emphasized in the message.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken agreed in Berlin to work together to deliver Ukrainian food exports to Africa and Asia.
“I met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Berlin. More weapons and other support are sent to Ukraine. We agreed to work together to ensure that Ukrainian food exports reach consumers in Africa and Asia. I am grateful to my colleague and the United States for leadership and unwavering support,” he wrote Kuleba on Twitter on Sunday.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain José Manuel Albares Bueno will pay a visit to Ukraine on February 8-9 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
According to the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the ministers will hold talks, the key topics of which will be support and containment of the Russian Federation from further aggression. The parties will also discuss the increase in trade and investment between Ukraine and Spain.
On Wednesday, February 9 at 10:20, the ministers will hold a joint online press conference.
Canadian Minister of National Defense Anita Anand and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly have joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in announcing a decision to allocate $340 million for immediate support to Ukraine and for the continuation of the UNIFIER operation for another three years – until the end of March 2025, and an increase in the number of personnel of the training mission in Ukraine to 400 people.
“Canada is steadfast in its support of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. Canada is alarmed by, and condemns, Russia’s threats and military buildup in and around Ukraine. Canada remains committed to a diplomatic solution and continues to call on Russia to de-escalate and engage in meaningful dialogue. Any further aggression on the part of Russia will be met with strong consequences and Canada continues to work with allies and partners on a coordinated response,” the government of Canada said on its website.
“This extension and expansion of Canada’s military presence in support of Ukraine will ensure that members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will continue to provide enhanced military training and mentorship to Ukraine’s security forces through to the end of March 2025. In the coming days an additional 60 troops will be deployed to Ukraine to join the approximately 200 women and men already on the ground, with the ability to increase the total number to 400 CAF personnel. The CAF will also work with the Communications Security Establishment on measures to support enhanced intelligence cooperation and cyber security and cyber operations. This increased support will help Ukraine strengthen its security and ability to defend itself against a range of threats,” the report reads.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov thanked the Canadian people and government for their unwavering support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in countering the Russian threat.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg plans to visit Ukraine on February 7-8 to show a “clear signal of support,” OE24 has reported.
“In the midst of the aggravation of the Ukrainian crisis, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) wants to visit the Eastern European country in early February (February 7-8),” the OE24 article says.
It is indicated that Schallenberg said this on Thursday at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brest, France. The Austrian Foreign Minister plans to pay a visit together with his colleagues from Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
“Yes to dialogue, but certainly not the threat of tanks and missiles changing borders in the 21st century,” Schallenberg said, adding that Austria has always “taken a clear position” on Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that she would soon visit Ukraine along with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and they would visit the country’s eastern regions.
“The two of us will soon visit Ukraine again, we will go to the contact line in Donbas, since in recent weeks I have received information about how much the civilian population is suffering: women, children, young people, the elderly. We have lost sight of them. We must talk about security and peace in the region,” Baerbock said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Monday.
In turn, Kuleba said that during the joint visit of Baerbock and Le Drian to Ukraine, their trilateral meeting will take place, during which they will discuss in detail the prospects for a meeting of Normandy format’s Foreign Ministers.
