The African National Congress (ANC) has stated that it is in the interest of global peace and stability that a negotiated peace plan be arrived at to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

This comes after the announcement by the Presidency on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the fifteenth Brics Summit to be held in Johannesburg from August 22 to 24.

The Russian Federation will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The ANC said it encouraged peace efforts to end the conflict.

“This peace plan must address the root causes of the conflict to guarantee the sustainability of the peace agreement,” said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.

She added that the provisions of the United Nations charter must be observed.

The ANC reiterated its stance on a negotiated end to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The party said the Presidency’s announcement on Putin’s Brics attendance would help put an end to months of international speculation about the circumstances under which the Brics Summit would be held.

“We look forward to getting down to the important work of the Summit and mapping out a strategic future for the Brics partnership together with other south-south cooperation initiatives,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.