Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi pointed to Russia’s “effort” “to avoid the worst” in the war with Ukraine as a path to peace in the conflict.
The head of state was speaking in Maputo, quoted by state media, after receiving the president of the Council (Senate) of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matviyenko, who is visiting Mozambique.
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“Said very well here [a presidente do Senado] that Russia strives to avoid the worst”, because “I could end the war in two or three days, but that would involve huge [perdas de] it lives”Nyusi said.
“And that principle must be the same that guides” a dialogue process, “to see if a solution can be reached,” said the Mozambican head of state.
We will continue to make our contribution to make the dialogue work. I would even be willing, at any time, if necessary, to give our minimum influence, be it humble or simple” so that “this situation ends”.
“We hope that with the effort and will of your country [Rússia], dialogue will be the ideal form. Of course this has to be paired. And if we had the chance to talk to the other side, the message would be the same: put down differences and discuss solutions,” he said.
The impacts of the war are global, stressed the head of state.
“Increases shortages”, even in the country he governs, leading to an increase in inflation“and the populations do not always realize that this is the result of a war” that does not take place in Africa, “much less in Mozambique”.
Valentina Matviyenko alluded to the sanctions applied to Moscow, when speaking of the “blockades” on global logistics chains, saying that “they harm Russia, but also the world economy”, translating into increases “in the prices of fuels and foods”.
“We are ready to supply wheat, but everything is blocked,” he added.
“At the same time, we had talks with Ukraine to sign the peace agreements, we pushed back the troops from kyiv and that agreement was prepared. [de cessar-fogo]but the condition was that Ukraine was neutral territory,” Matviyenko was quoted as saying by Mozambique Television (TVM).
Valentina Matvienko, the third figure of the Russian State, is in Mozambique in response to an invitation made in October 2021 by the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique, Esperança Bias, within the framework of the relationship between parliamentary bodies.
On Tuesday, the two signed a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments, focusing on experience sharing and information sharing.
The President of the Russian Federation Council was also received on Tuesday by the Mozambican Prime Minister, Adriano Maleiane.
Matviyenko is one of the Russian personalities subject to sanctions by the United States of America and the European Union (assets frozen and without visas) since 2014 due to his role in the annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea to Russia.
Mozambique was one of 38 countries that abstained in the United Nations General Assembly votewhere an overwhelming majority passed a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine due to the war.
The Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since independence) was an ally of Moscow during the time of the former USSR, having received military support during the fight against Portuguese colonialism and economic aid after independence in 1975.
Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24 that has killed more than 4,000 civilians, according to the UN, which warns the true number is likely to be much higher.
The Russian invasion was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and tightening economic and political sanctions on Moscow.
Source: Observadora
