After a meeting between the heads of Angolan and Russian diplomacy, Luanda expressed its concern that the conflict in Ukraine could turn into a “third world war”.
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The Angolan government expressed this Wednesday that it was “concerned” by the use of “increasingly warlike” technical means in the war in Ukraine, admitting that the conflict could turn into a third world war. “Extremely concerned about the exponential deterioration of the situation on the ground,” Angola said in a statement, distributed on the sidelines of a visit by the Russian Foreign Minister to Luanda, that the use of increasingly warlike technical means “It could lead to a greater involvement in the conflict on the part of the different partners and its consequent extension to the third world war”.
In the statement, distributed shortly after Germany authorized the sending of Leopard 2 tanks to reinforce the Ukrainian troops – a demand by kyiv to reconquer the territory occupied by Moscow -, the Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered that all the nations of the world are “various victims” of this conflict.
This statement followed the meeting of the Angolan minister Téte António with his Russian counterpart, Serguei Lavrov, who chose to recall Moscow’s past support for the Angolan government party.
For Angola, the war in Europe constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security and the conflict, with “innumerable” human victims and destruction of infrastructure in Ukraine and thousands of displaced persons and refugees, “has caused serious global economic consequences that lead to to the resurgence of a new ideological duality in the world”.
“Faced with this situation and as a committed international actor, the Republic of Angola maintains its position of principle, reiterating its call for the unconditional cessation of hostilities by the belligerents, always prioritizing the peaceful path to resolve this crisis,” the statement said.
In his statements to the press, Lavrov never commented on the call for a ceasefire, repeating that the Russia is only responding to what it calls the “Nazi regime” in Moscow.
The Angolan statement highlights several excerpts from the intervention of the Angolan Foreign Minister, Téte António, in bilateral talks with the Russian delegation, also reaffirming Angola’s adherence to the principle of “non-indifference” of the African Union. Angola also highlights that it maintains, since the beginning of the fight for independence, “strong ties of friendship” with Russia, which sustain a close, dynamic and multifaceted relationship of cooperation at all levels.
The Republic of Ukraine “is also an important partner with which the Republic of Angola maintains good diplomatic and cooperation relations”, he also highlights in this position.
Sergei Lavrov, who is on his first day of visit to Angola, was also received by the Angolan President, João Lourenço. Delegations from both countries are scheduled to hold a meeting of the mixed intergovernmental commission next April in Luanda to strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation, announced the head of diplomacy of the Russian Federation.
Source: Observadora
