The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has sent a message of congratulations to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the newly elected President of Nigeria, praising him on his victory in the presidential election. Zelensky also invited Tinubu to visit Ukraine on a state visit after his inauguration on May 29, with the aim of strengthening the relationship between the two countries.
Ukraine is keen to boost bilateral cooperation with Nigeria, especially in the area of global food security, and Zelensky noted that Nigeria’s support for the UN resolution on peace in Ukraine is much appreciated. In addition, Ukraine is working towards increasing grain supplies to African countries to prevent famine, and Zelensky sees this as an important direction for cooperation between the two nations.
Zelensky’s letter partly reads, “Please accept my sincere congratulations on your election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Despite extremely difficult testing times, caused by the full-scale armed aggression of Russia against our state, Ukraine is determined to further strengthen cooperation with Nigeria at the bilateral level and within the framework of international organizations.
“We are grateful for your country’s support of the Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization “Principles of the UN Charter underlying a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.
“I count on the active participation of Nigeria in its practical implementation. We see the further provision of global food security, of which Ukraine was and remains a reliable guarantor at the global level, as an important direction of cooperation.
“The fulfilment of this task will be facilitated by the successful implementation of the Ukrainian initiative “Grain from Ukraine”, which is designed to significantly increase the supply of grain to African countries in order to prevent famine.
“Taking this opportunity, I invite you to pay an official visit to Ukraine at a time convenient for you.
“I am confident that your visit will strengthen the dialogue between our countries and contribute to further consolidation of joint efforts of the international community aimed at solving the urgent challenges of today, in particular the crisis situation caused by Russia regarding the guarantee of world food security.”
