Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed 11 journalists from eight African countries—Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, and Tanzania—to Ukraine.
“I was delighted to hold a separate meeting with them. I noted the great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries: from Ukraine’s further efforts to strengthen food security on the African continent and develop bilateral trade to the exchange of the latest technologies and the scaling up of educational and cultural programs for young people,” said Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga.
We expect African capitals and the African Union to support Ukraine’s peace efforts in all international forums. Ukraine has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire and is making every effort to end the war. Now, the international community needs to fully mobilize diplomatically to get Russia to agree to a ceasefire and open the way to a real peace process.
“Why are these personal visits important? They change perceptions. Journalists saw the consequences of Russia’s war and crimes with their own eyes. They saw and felt the essence of this war. I am deeply grateful to them for their courage and professionalism,” the minister emphasized.
In total, the press tour lasted two weeks, during which the group of media representatives visited the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine. It was organized jointly by the foreign ministries of the Czech Republic, Poland, and the European External Action Service.
In Ukraine, African journalists visited Lviv, Kyiv, and the deoccupied territories of the Kyiv region.
This visit was the fifth visit of leading media outlets from the so-called Global South to Ukraine and the third for African media in particular, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized as part of its strategy for new horizons in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The systematic development of communication with countries in these regions is one of the priorities of Ukrainian diplomacy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs adopted the first-ever communication strategies “Ukraine – African States” and “Ukraine – Latin American and Caribbean States.”
Ukraine strives to develop equal and mutually beneficial relations with the countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as a shared vision of the future based on respect for international law and universal values is the key to global stability and prosperity.
