On June 26, Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maxim Subkh met with the directors of the Africa and Middle East departments of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic.

The sides discussed the consequences of Russian aggression for the countries of Africa and the Middle East, in particular in the context of global food security. Maksym Subkh informed the French counterparts about the current state of implementation of the international humanitarian initiative of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy "Grain from Ukraine" aimed at maintaining food security in the most hunger-vulnerable countries in Africa and Asia. He called upon France to continue participating in the mentioned initiative. In this context, the Ukrainian diplomat emphasized the importance of ensuring the unhindered and safe functioning of the Black Sea Grain Corridor.

Maksym Subkh informed his French colleagues about the strategy of Ukraine for developing relations with African countries and expanding its diplomatic presence on the African continent.

The parties discussed the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and other peace initiatives. The Special Representative of Ukraine emphasized that the Ukrainian Peace Formula is the most comprehensive and effective mechanism for ending the war and restoring international security. The Ukrainian side is not in a position to discuss any other peace plan that does not involve the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from all temporarily occupied territories or freezes the conflict.

The representatives of the foreign ministries substantively discussed directions and possible formats of cooperation between Ukraine and France in the context of relations with Africa and the Middle East. The parties paid particular attention to the use of public diplomacy tools and the fight against Russian disinformation in Africa.

The Ukrainian and French diplomats exchanged views on the mechanisms for countering the destabilizing role of the Russian Federation in some regions of Africa, including through the minimization of negative security consequences caused by the intervention of the "Wagner" PMC.