JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for a state visit to the country.
"I welcome the constructive engagement I had with President Zelensky and I look forward to hosting him in South Africa soon for a state visit," Ramaphosa said on social media platform X on Friday, adding that South Africa remains committed to supporting the dialogue process between Russia and Ukraine.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the South African president, told Xinhua by telephone that the invitation has been extended, but no date for the visit has been confirmed yet.
Zelensky thanked Ramaphosa for supporting "Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and expressed hope for peace this year.
"It is important that our countries share the same position: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We all hope to achieve a just and lasting peace this year. South Africa's voice matters, and we count on its support," said Zelensky on X.
South Africa has adopted a neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and urged the two countries to solve their conflict through negotiations. ■
