South African President Cyril Ramaphosa briefed Chinese President Xi Jinping in their phone conversation about the peace mission of seven African leaders who plan to travel to Russia and Ukraine in the near future, according to the press release posted on the South African presidency website on Saturday.
"President Ramaphosa noted the peace plan [on Ukraine] that has been proposed by China and affirmed South Africa’s and the African leaders' support of initiatives that are aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict," the statement said.
"President Xi Jinping commended the initiative by the African continent and acknowledged the impact the [Ukraine] conflict has had on human lives and on food security in Africa."
The two leaders also touched on their cooperation in the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and preparations for the upcoming BRICS summit.
The statement noted that both of them committed themselves to working towards a successful summit.
On May 16, Ramaphosa mentioned that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to receive an African delegation seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict.
The South African president spoke on behalf of six African countries, namely Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. Subsequently, Comoros, the current chair of the African Union, also joined.
The mission is expected to visit Russia and Ukraine in the second half of June.
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