When Ireland’s deputy prime minister Tánaiste Micheal Martin meets his South African counterpart, international relations minister Naledi Pandor, this week, he will urge South Africa to use its influence to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Martin will tell Pandor that while Ireland respects South Africa’s nonaligned stance on the war in Europe, Ireland believes Russia should have never invaded Ukraine.
“We believe that South Africa and other African countries can be a persuader to disengage,” Martin said in an interview with the Sunday Times ahead of his visit to South Africa.
The war in Ukraine has placed the government in a predicament and strained ties with the west. Martin is hoping to use his visit to remind South Africa that while the two countries have strong historic ties, their views on the war differ.
He said Ireland sees the war in Ukraine as a “fundamental violation of Ukrainians, the UN Charter and sovereign integrity”.
“We will be saying in our discussions with minister Pandor that notwithstanding our commitments to Ukraine, we have not diverted one euro from our development co-operation to Africa. We have not in any way reduced our support for Africa generally.
“We respect South Africa’s (non-aligned) position and we look forward to discussing how we see it and in terms of how we can collectively work for the ending of the war and bring about a cessation of this war. We believe Russia has the responsibility to withdraw because there is human suffering on both sides.
“There is no need for this and Russia should not have invaded and we will discuss this with the South African political leadership.”
Ireland sees South Africa as a key political, peace and security and economic partner for his country and the EU, he said.
“Ireland and South Africa have a very strong historic relationship. Ireland was a very strong supporter of ending apartheid and over time, relations have sustained. [President] Cyril Ramaphosa himself made a significant contribution to the Irish peace process and we remain very grateful for that.”
Ireland, he said, appreciates South Africa's leadership especially in the Sadc and AU context.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has steadily increased over recent years with total two-way trade in goods and services in 2021 amounting to €3.6bn (R73.2bn).
South Africa is Ireland’s largest trading partner for goods in Africa and home to the largest Irish community on the African continent, with around 35,000 Irish citizens living in the country.
Peace, climate change, promoting human rights and fighting poverty will also form part of the discussions.
“We will be saying to South Africa that it is very important that multilateralism remains the prism with which we look at the Ukrainian situation. We see the Russian invasion on the minds of the multilateral system and the international rule of law.”
Martin welcomed last month's African leaders' peace initiative in Kyiv and Russia saying it was clear that Africa is committed to seeing a resolution of the issue.
“Our view, of course, is that Russia should withdraw, and we believe in the Ukrainian peace plan, but we do acknowledge the interest of South Africa in particular, and other nations because this war has implications on the world added to food and hunger.
“From a European point of view, our view is clear that Russia should withdraw but nonetheless, the visit to Kyiv showed significant commitment from the African countries.”
Weighing in on the International Criminal Court’s decision to have Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrested when he sets foot in South Africa in August, Martin said “there has to be accountability”.
“Ireland has been a sound supporter of the ICC historically and we believe that they are independent in their work and they have made their determination and we respect that determination.”
Ireland to nudge SA to use its influence to end the war in Ukraine
When Ireland’s deputy prime minister Tánaiste Micheal Martin meets his South African counterpart, international relations minister Naledi Pandor, this week, he will urge South Africa to use its influence to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Martin will tell Pandor that while Ireland respects South Africa’s nonaligned stance on the war in Europe, Ireland believes Russia should have never invaded Ukraine.
“We believe that South Africa and other African countries can be a persuader to disengage,” Martin said in an interview with the Sunday Times ahead of his visit to South Africa.
The war in Ukraine has placed the government in a predicament and strained ties with the west. Martin is hoping to use his visit to remind South Africa that while the two countries have strong historic ties, their views on the war differ.
He said Ireland sees the war in Ukraine as a “fundamental violation of Ukrainians, the UN Charter and sovereign integrity”.
“We will be saying in our discussions with minister Pandor that notwithstanding our commitments to Ukraine, we have not diverted one euro from our development co-operation to Africa. We have not in any way reduced our support for Africa generally.
“We respect South Africa’s (non-aligned) position and we look forward to discussing how we see it and in terms of how we can collectively work for the ending of the war and bring about a cessation of this war. We believe Russia has the responsibility to withdraw because there is human suffering on both sides.
“There is no need for this and Russia should not have invaded and we will discuss this with the South African political leadership.”
Ireland sees South Africa as a key political, peace and security and economic partner for his country and the EU, he said.
“Ireland and South Africa have a very strong historic relationship. Ireland was a very strong supporter of ending apartheid and over time, relations have sustained. [President] Cyril Ramaphosa himself made a significant contribution to the Irish peace process and we remain very grateful for that.”
Ireland, he said, appreciates South Africa's leadership especially in the Sadc and AU context.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has steadily increased over recent years with total two-way trade in goods and services in 2021 amounting to €3.6bn (R73.2bn).
South Africa is Ireland’s largest trading partner for goods in Africa and home to the largest Irish community on the African continent, with around 35,000 Irish citizens living in the country.
Peace, climate change, promoting human rights and fighting poverty will also form part of the discussions.
“We will be saying to South Africa that it is very important that multilateralism remains the prism with which we look at the Ukrainian situation. We see the Russian invasion on the minds of the multilateral system and the international rule of law.”
Martin welcomed last month's African leaders' peace initiative in Kyiv and Russia saying it was clear that Africa is committed to seeing a resolution of the issue.
“Our view, of course, is that Russia should withdraw, and we believe in the Ukrainian peace plan, but we do acknowledge the interest of South Africa in particular, and other nations because this war has implications on the world added to food and hunger.
“From a European point of view, our view is clear that Russia should withdraw but nonetheless, the visit to Kyiv showed significant commitment from the African countries.”
Weighing in on the International Criminal Court’s decision to have Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrested when he sets foot in South Africa in August, Martin said “there has to be accountability”.
“Ireland has been a sound supporter of the ICC historically and we believe that they are independent in their work and they have made their determination and we respect that determination.”
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