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CAIRO — Russia’s high diplomat was in Cairo for talks Sunday with Egyptian officers as his nation seeks to interrupt the diplomatic isolation and sanctions by the West over its invasion of Ukraine.
Sergey Lavrov landed in Cairo late on Saturday, the primary leg of his Africa journey that can even embrace stops in Ethiopia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, based on Russia’s state-run RT tv community.
On Sunday, he first held talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, then his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shukry. Lavrov additionally met with Arab League Secretary Basic Ahmed Aboul Gheit, earlier than addressing the pan-Arab group, the Arab League stated.
In a joint information convention with Shukry, Lavrov stated he mentioned Russia’s “army operation” in Ukraine with Egyptian officers who urged for “a political and diplomatic” settlement to the battle.
Lavrov laid the blame on Ukraine for the rupture of earlier peace talks.
“We would not have any prejudices about resuming negotiations on a wider vary of points, however the matter doesn’t depend upon us,” he stated. “Ukrainian authorities, from the president to his innumerable advisers, always say that there will probably be no negotiations till Ukraine defeats Russia on the battlefield.”
The Russian diplomat used his speech on the Arab League to press the Kremlin’s narrative that the West pushed his nation to invade Ukraine and accused the West of ignoring Russia’s safety considerations stemming from NATO’s growth eastward.
Following Russia’s airstrike Saturday on the port of Odesa, Ukraine, it was not instantly clear how plans to renew delivery Ukrainian grain by sea in protected corridors out of Ukrainian Black Sea ports can be affected.
Lavrov stated in Cairo that Russian grain exporters are dedicated to fulfilling their obligations within the wake of twin U.N.-backed offers signed by Moscow and Kyiv to unblock the grain shipments from Ukrainian ports.
“We mentioned the particular parameters of cooperation on this space, agreed on additional contacts between the related ministries, and we have now a standard understanding of the causes of the grain disaster,” he stated, with out elaborating.
Russia’s struggle in Ukraine has had dire results on the world economic system, driving up oil and fuel costs to unprecedented ranges. Ukraine is without doubt one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, however Russia’s invasion and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments.
Some Ukrainian grain is transported by means of Europe by rail, street and river, however with greater transportation prices. The struggle has additionally disrupted shipments of Russian merchandise as a result of delivery and insurance coverage firms are reluctant to cope with Western sanctions on Russia.
African nations are amongst these most affected by ripples of the struggle. The costs of significant commodities skyrocketed and billions of {dollars} in help have been directed to assist those that fled the struggle in Europe. That has left tens of millions of individuals in battle areas in Africa and the Center East affected by worsening rising shortages in meals and different help.
In an article posted on the Russian International Ministry web site, Lavrov rejected the West’s accusations that Russia is answerable for the worldwide meals disaster, as “one other try to shift the blame to others.”
In search of to rally African nations on his nation’s aspect, he hailed what he referred to as “an unbiased path” they took in refraining from becoming a member of the West in sanctioning Russia and the “undisguised makes an attempt of the U.S. and their European satellites to achieve the higher hand, and to impose a unipolar world order to the worldwide neighborhood.”
The article was additionally printed in 4 African newspapers.
On the Cairo information convention, Lavrov additionally stated a second Russia-Africa summit will probably be held in mid-2023 as a part of Moscow’s efforts to increase Russia’s clout on this a part of the world. The primary summit was held in 2019 the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Lavrov’s go to comes lower than two weeks after President Joe Biden’s Mideast journey. Biden visited Israel and in addition the occupied West Financial institution earlier than heading to Saudi Arabia. He additionally attended a regional summit of Gulf Arab nations and in addition Egypt, Jordan and Iraq in Saudi Arabia.
Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation, has refused to take sides on Russia’s struggle in Ukraine because it maintains shut ties with each Moscow and the West. Egypt can be among the many world’s largest importers of wheat, primarily from Russia and Ukraine.
El-Sissi accomplished a three-day go to to Serbia final week, the primary in additional than 30 years by an Egyptian president. Serbia has additionally abstained from becoming a member of Western sanctions in opposition to Russia and has maintained pleasant relations with Moscow regardless of the struggle. The Egyptian chief additionally visited Germany and France final week.
Russia and Egypt have strengthened their ties significantly lately as el-Sissi and Russian President Vladimir Putin developed a detailed private rapport, which helped improve army and financial cooperation.
Additionally final week, Russia’s state-owned atomic vitality company, Rosatom, started development of a four-reactor energy plant it’s constructing in Egypt.
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