Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Holds Talks with Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso on Africa Tour

During the second leg of his Africa tour, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso. High on the agenda was the political crisis in Libya, with Sassou-Nguesso, chairing the African Union High-Level Committee on Libya, aiming to organize an inter-Libyan summit.

On Tuesday (Jun. 4), Congo’s top diplomat Jean-Claude Gakosso joined Lavrov for a press conference in Oyo, where Brazzaville reiterated its call for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.

“In our eyes, those who advocate sending troops on the ground do not aid the peace process; rather, they endanger humanity with the risk of fatal and irreversible confrontation,” remarked Gakosso, the Congolese Foreign Minister. “This is not a very responsible position.”

The conflict in Ukraine escalated two years ago when Russia deployed troops to its neighboring country. Switzerland is set to host a peace conference on June 15 and 16, but Russia has not been invited. Lavrov criticized the conference, stating, “The conference in Switzerland, of course, we have said more than once, and all objective politicians understand that it has no other meaning but to try to preserve the collapsing anti-Russian bloc.”

In 2022, Ukraine outlawed negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the conclusion of Lavrov’s visit, Moscow and Brazzaville reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation.

Later on Tuesday, Lavrov held talks with Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré in Ouagadougou.