Russia FM visits Egypt, a part of Africa journey amid Ukraine warfare

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Cairo for talks Sunday with Egyptian officers as his nation seeks to interrupt diplomatic isolation and sanctions by the West over its invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov landed in Cairo late Saturday, the primary leg of his Africa journey that will even embody stops in Ethiopia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in keeping with Russia’s state-run RT.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry was holding talks with Lavrov Sunday morning. The Russian chief diplomat was scheduled to satisfy later Sunday with the Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. He will even deal with the everlasting representatives of the pan-Arab group, RT reported.

Russia’s warfare in Ukraine has had dire results on the world economic system, driving up oil and fuel costs to unprecedented ranges. Ukraine is without doubt one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, however Russia’s invasion of the nation and naval blockade of its ports have halted shipments. Some Ukrainian grain is transported by Europe by rail, highway and river, however with larger transportation prices.

The warfare has disrupted shipments of Russian merchandise as a result of delivery and insurance coverage firms didn’t wish to cope with Western sanctions on the nation. African counties are amongst these most affected by ripples of the warfare. The costs of significant commodities skyrocketed and billions of {dollars} in support have been directed to assist those that fled the warfare in Europe. That has left hundreds of thousands of individuals in battle areas in Africa and the Middle East affected by worsening rising shortages in meals and different help.

In an article posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry web site, Lavrov rejected the West accusations that Russia is liable for the worldwide meals disaster, as “another attempt to shift the blame to others.” Seeking to rally African nations on his nation’s aspect, he hailed what he referred to as “an independent path” such nations took after they kept away from becoming a member of the West in sanctioning Russia.

“We know that the African colleagues does not approve of the undisguised attempts of the U.S. and their European satellites to gain the upper hand, and to impose a unipolar world order to the international community,” he wrote within the article, which additionally was revealed in 4 African newspapers.

Lavrov’s conferences with Egyptian officers and Arab envoys in Cairo come lower than two weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden’s Mideast journey. Biden met with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, earlier than convening a summit with the leaders of Arab Gulf international locations, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq in Saudi Arabia.

Egypt, the Arab World’s most populous nation, refused to take sides for the reason that warfare in Ukraine started in February because it maintains shut ties with each Moscow and the West. Egypt is among the many world’s largest importers of wheat, with a lot of that from Russia and Ukraine. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has cultivated a detailed private rapport with Russia President Vladimir Putin. Both leaders have strengthened bilateral ties significantly up to now few years.

Lavrov’s go to to Cairo got here as Russia’s state-owned atomic vitality company, Rosatom, started final week the development of a four-reactor energy plant it’s constructing in Egypt.