Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping discuss humanitarian aid for Ukraine

19 March 2022 - 13:01
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President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xinping discuss the war in Ukraine.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xinping discuss the war in Ukraine.
Image: Twitter.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday evening confirmed he had discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping the need for humanitarian  assistance to the people of Ukraine.

“Thank you to President Xi Jinping for a productive call earlier today, where we exchanged views on several issues of global importance. We expressed our concern about the conflict in Ukraine and the need to end hostilities and find a lasting peace,” Ramaphosa said in a tweet.

Xi Jinping joins a number of world leaders that Ramaphosa has been in contact with in a bid to explain SA’s neutral position on the ongoing conflict.

Last week Ramaphosa revealed he had also spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss why SA abstained from a UN General Assembly vote on a resolution condemning Russia.

On his call with Xi Jinping, Ramaphosa said: “We discussed the need for humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine and the plight of African students in Ukraine. President Xi and I also discussed the role of #BRICS and the #G20 in promoting a stable international order and equitable global recovery.”

Ramaphosa told MPs in parliament this week he had been approached by two heads of state to discuss SA’s stance on the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“I want to speak to the president of Ukraine. We are also speaking to a number of other world leaders and only last night, as I was addressing a dinner, I got a message that two other heads of state also want to talk to SA so that the position that we have taken can be taken forward,” he said.

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