The founder of the international NGO Brazzaville Foundation, Jean-Yves Olivier, said that it is not yet known which of the countries - the Russian Federation or Ukraine - the delegation members will visit firstLONDON, May 17.
/Correspondent of TASS Nikita Kruchinenko/. A delegation of African leaders in the framework of efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine will visit the Russian Federation approximately in late June - early July. This was announced in an interview with TASS on Wednesday by the founder of the international NGO Brazzaville Foundation, which is preparing for the visit, Jean-Yves Olivier.
"It was agreed with the President [of Russia Vladimir Putin] that the visit of the [African delegation] should take place before the [Russia-Africa] summit in St. Petersburg at the end of July. I believe that it will take place between June 15 and July 15, no later," said the founder of the organization headquartered in London. Olivier noted that it is not yet known which of the countries - Russia or Ukraine - the delegation members will visit first. "At this stage [African leaders] have not decided which of the countries they will visit first," he said.
On May 12, Putin had a telephone conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaposa, who informed the Russian leader about the African leaders' proposal for a ceasefire. The Kremlin's press service reported that Putin supported the idea expressed by Ramaposa about the participation of a number of African leaders in the discussion of the Ukrainian settlement, but did not provide details about any specific arrangements for the visit of the delegation.
China and other countries
Olivier also said that the Chinese authorities expressed support for the efforts of African countries to find a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine through the mediation of the Brazzaville Foundation. "China has sent its delegation to us to declare its support for our initiative. They see our initiative as parallel to their own," the agency interlocutor said.
He noted that the composition of the delegation consisting of representatives of six African countries - Egypt, Zambia, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Uganda and South Africa - can be expanded. "The plan of the Brazzaville Foundation is to visit [Russia] again in the next few days. If one of the parties considers that we need to add other states [to the mission], then this issue will be discussed," the founder of the organization, whose headquarters are located in London, stressed.
Mission objectives
Olivier stressed that the Brazzaville Foundation offered to unite African countries to contribute to the search for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. "The role of the Brazzaville Foundation is to ensure dialogue and a peace process, given our special relationship with [Russia] and many African heads of state. We thought we could help to start a dialogue," he said.
At the same time, Olivier did not disclose the details of the peace proposal of the African mission. "At this stage, I can't say anything about [the delegation's peace initiatives]. This remains a confidential topic for all parties," he said. - Everyone hopes that [a solution] will be found quickly. No one can say whether [the mission] will succeed or how long it will take."
Speaking about the statements of the press secretary of the President of Ukraine Sergey Nikiforov that Kiev will offer the African mission to join the implementation of the Ukrainian "formula for peace", Olivier urged to treat them as a starting position. "It's absolutely normal when you start negotiations. This is how people express their feelings, their position. During the negotiations, you can change your position. I do not know what the resolution [of the conflict] will be. We know the Russian and Ukrainian positions. The heads of the six states agreed to visit [both countries] as part of the approach to search for peace, and they have reason [to believe that their visit will contribute to a peaceful settlement]," he concluded.
