Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba paid a visit to Rwanda, where he held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Vincent Biruta, the press service of the Foreign Ministry reports.
“At the end of 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set a clear task for Ukrainian diplomacy: to expand its presence in Africa. After careful analysis, we planned to open new embassies in African countries, one of which we will open in Rwanda. The Rwandan side has already provided official consent to the creation of a Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Kigala,” Kuleba said.
Also during the meeting, the Foreign Ministers discussed the Ukrainian Peace Formula, “which will help establish a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and ensure security in the world, in particular in Africa.” Kuleba invited Rwanda to join the Peace Formula.
“Ukraine’s victory will significantly reduce the negative influence of Russia on the African continent, which, with the help of Wagner militants, is destabilizing the internal situation in a number of African countries and is engaged in illegal mining of their minerals. It is critically important to combine our efforts to counter common challenges and threats,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said.
In addition, during the talks, food security in Africa, the export of Ukrainian grain within the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the Grain From Ukraine humanitarian program were discussed.
The Foreign Ministers signed a memorandum on political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Rwanda.
“The first round of consultations will be held in an expanded format with the participation of representatives of various departments of Ukraine and Rwanda in order to identify specific common interests in the field of trade, digitalization of public services, aerospace, construction, education and pharmaceuticals,” the message says.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister and the Foreign Minister of Rwanda agreed to hold a business forum in the near future with the participation of Ukrainian and Rwandan businesses.
At the end of the negotiations, Kuleba invited Biruta to visit Ukraine.
