JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed support for diplomatic and peaceful efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the South African Presidency said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Ramaphosa made the remarks during a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who briefed him on the latest developments in Ukraine and Russia's stated commitment to pursuing a diplomatic settlement. Ramaphosa emphasized that South Africa has long maintained that lasting peace can only be achieved through negotiations.
Ramaphosa welcomed ongoing engagements aimed at advancing a mutually beneficial trade and investment framework under the Russia-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership, and exchanged views with Putin on cooperation within key multilateral platforms, such as BRICS and the Group of 20. ■