The Egyptian prime minister’s remarks came in a speech during a meeting on Saturday with the Russian president in St Petersburg, in the attendance of a number of African leaders, who are on the second leg of an African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia to mediate a resolution for the conflict between the two countries.

The African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia, which includes the presidents South Africa, Senegal, Comoros and Zambia as well as representatives of the presidents of Uganda and Republic of the Congo, had met with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Friday on the first leg of its quest.

“Egypt believes that reaching a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the Russia-Ukraine crisis can be achieved through prioritising voice of reason and refraining from use of force,” stressed PM Madbouly, who is participating in the African peace mission on behalf of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry.

Madbouly added in his speech that the joint African peace mission emanates from African leaders’ awareness of the depth of the crisis and its heavy repercussions on the peoples of Russia and Ukraine as well as on African citizens.

He stressed that the African peace mission seeks to put an end of the military conflict that claimed the lives of scores of civilians and military personnel and has cast a shadow on the resources of peoples and their food security.

“This requires ending the ongoing conflict through an immediate ceasefire in order to pave the way for starting a serious track of negotiations,” Madbouly said.

The Egyptian prime minister vowed that this African effort will continue in order to achieve the ultimate goal of reaching peace.

Russia appreciates mission
 

For his part, President Putin stressed during the meeting Moscow’s appreciation for the African states’ stance to support regional and international security and stability and resolve crises with peaceful means under this African peace initiative, according to a statement by the Russian Embassy in Cairo.

The Russian president also hailed the balanced position that these countries have adopted with regard to the Ukraine crisis, stressing "openness to constructive dialogue with anyone who wants to establish peace on the principles of fairness and acknowledgement of the legitimate interests of the parties,” according to the statement.

Russia has never rejected to engage in talks with the Ukrainian side, Reuters quoted  PresidentPutin as saying during his talks with the African peace mission.

The Russian president also blamed the West for the sharp rise in global food prices early last year, which have heavily affected the African countries, according to Reuters.

First leg in Kiev
 

On Friday, the African peace mission held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, where they highlighted the need for lasting peace that would alleviate the suffering of peoples of the two warring countries as well as the people of African states, who have been heavily affected by the conflict.

In a joint press conference following the meeting, President Zelensky said peace talks with Russia can only be achieved after Moscow withdraws its forces from occupied Ukrainian territories.

Call for lasting peace
 

During the press conference, PM Madbouly said Egypt has been calling for the “necessity to mobilise international efforts in order to defuse the crisis instead of escalating and fuelling the conflict.”

Madbouly stressed that the African peace mission to Russia and Ukraine is a sincere and serious effort that aims to reach a sustainable settlement of the crisis.

“We will continue our joint African effort to achieve the ultimate goal of this endeavour, which is peace,” he added.

Since the military operations broke out between the two sides, Egypt has adopted a position that prioritizes the objectives of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law, Madbouly noted.

These principles include the necessity to preserve states’ sovereignty and to settle conflicts with peaceful means, he added.

The Egyptian prime minister affirmed that the African mission to the two warring countries seeks to put an end to the conflict through the implementation of ceasefire and start of constructive talks.

“This should lead to the establishment of a fair and sustainable settlement of the conflict, in a way that ensures the protection of international peace and security and ends the humanitarian suffering of civilians,” he noted.

Africa: Impact of war
 

The Egyptian prime minister also underlined during the press conference the repercussions of the Ukraine crisis on African food security and the daily life of the African citizens amid a shortage in their basic needs, foremost of which are fertilizers and grains.

These repercussions come as wheat exports of Russia and Ukraine constitutes 23 percent of global market, Madbouly said.

“Hence, it was necessary for the leaders of the African continent to use their good offices in order to stop the bloodshed and contain the negative effects and repercussions on the lives of citizens of both sides of the conflict and the African citizens alike,” he stressed.

Egypt and other African countries which rely heavily on imports of wheat from Russia and the Ukraine have been hard hit by the disruption in supply chains and increasing prices of the strategic grain since the outbreak of war in February 2022.

Invitation to African leaders
 

In a tweet following the meeting, Zelensky said he discussed with the African delegation about the way to achieve “a true and just peace without any Russian blackmail and deception.”

Zelensky added that he invited African leaders and states to participate in the Global Peace Summit that Ukraine is preparing to host.