Ukraine plans to open an embassy in Zambia and a Consulate General in Cape Town as it seeks to expand ties with African countries, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Ukraine has already opened eight new embassies in Africa in recent years. According to the minister, the total number of Ukrainian diplomatic missions on the continent has now risen to 18.
He also said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is open to meetings with African leaders and dialogue with the African Union. Ukraine also wants to increase trade with African countries and exceed the pre-war level of $6.7 billion, Sybiha added.
According to the foreign minister, Ukraine and African countries will work together to strengthen food security and develop infrastructure, exchange security and cyber technologies, and cooperate on the digitalization of government services and education.
Ukraine–Africa relations
In March, Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said Ukraine had begun developing a strategy to expand relations and its presence on the African continent.
At the time, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry presented a strategy for developing relations with individual African states. That included the Maghreb region and sub-Saharan Africa. Diplomats also identified a list of international organizations and regional groups that could help advance Ukraine’s interests on the continent.
Later, the Economy Ministry said Ukraine had opened its first Ukrainian agricultural hub in Africa. The hub is a food processing and distribution center in Ghana.
