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Ukraine official urges Beijing to join peace summit

by AFP Staff Writers Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) June 5, 2024 AFP
A Ukrainian foreign ministry official in Beijing on Wednesday urged Chinese officials to participate in a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland this month, the foreign ministry in Kyiv said.

Beijing has criticised the gathering scheduled for June 15-16 saying it would be "difficult" for China to attend if its ally Russia, which was not invited, did not also participate.

China has also denied accusations from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that it has been trying to prevent other nations from attending.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry issued a statement Wednesday saying deputy foreign minister Andriy Sybiga had visited Beijing and met with his counterpart Sun Weidong.

"The Ukrainian side expressed hope that China's participation in the event would be a good opportunity to make a practical contribution to achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," the Ukrainian ministry said.

"As noted by the parties, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the foundation on which bilateral relations between Ukraine and China are based," the statement added.

While Beijing insists it is a neutral party on the war in Ukraine, it has faced sharp criticism from the West over its strategic partnership with Russia.

The Kremlin has said it would be "absurd" to discuss the prospects of reaching a lasting peace in Ukraine without including Russia.

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