Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that Russia supports the peaceful resolution of any disputes, expressing respect for South Africa's "responsible" stance on the conflict in Ukraine
PRETORIA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2023) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that Russia supports the peaceful resolution of any disputes, expressing respect for South Africa's "responsible" stance on the conflict in Ukraine.
"We are all in favor of a peaceful resolution of disputes and will be always ready to discuss negotiated solutions to any conflict on Earth, unfortunately, most of the conflicts launched by our Western colleagues did not lead to any improvement in the situation," Lavrov said at a meeting with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor in Pretoria.
The minister stressed that even in its conflict with Ukraine, Russia supported Kiev's proposal to hold talks last year, but later it was Kiev itself that rejected them and legally banned any negotiations with Russia.
At the same time, the minister noted that Moscow appreciates South Africa's position on the situation around Ukraine.
"I respect the openness and the responsible approach which you demonstrated on the basis of your allegiance to the key national interests of South Africa and its people," Lavrov added.
On January 18, Pandor told Sputnik that South Africa was under pressure from Europe and some other countries to take a tough line on Russia over Ukraine but refused to be pitted against anyone.
