On 3 June Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maksym Subkh paid a visit to the Southern African Development Community Secretariat (SADC, Gaborone, Republic of Botswana). The delegation, headed by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi, included Chairman of the Committee of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Agrarian and Land Policy Oleksandr Haydu and representatives of the Ukrainian agricultural sector.

Ukrainian delegation held the first in the history of relations meeting with the leadership of the SADC Secretariat headed by Executive Secretary of the organization Elias Magosi. During the negotiations, an online speech was held by Acting Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi. The representatives of African countries were presented with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy`s Peace Formula, in particular its point 2 «Food security», as well as the opportunities of Ukraine in the field of agriculture. The ways of intensifying the cooperation of our state with this regional organization were discussed.

Representatives of Ukrainian companies of the agroindustrial complex made a presentation of the agricultural potential of Ukraine, in particular regarding the supply of grain and sunflower oil, poultry meat, assistance in the fight against cross-border pests and diseases of animals and agricultural crops, the mechanization of agriculture, as well as the development of cooperation between relevant scientifiс-research institutions of Ukraine and SADC member states.

The parties exchanged views on ways to overcome the consequences of natural disasters, in particular, drought and floods, which have increasingly affected the African continent in recent years.

During the bilateral meetings of the Special Representative with Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Botswana Molebatsi S. Molebatsi and the directors of the departments of regional cooperation and bilateral relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Botswana, the parties discussed the current issues of the bilateral agenda, as well as the implementation of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy`s Peace Formula.

Ukrainian delegation also held meetings with the representatives of the African countries in SADC, in particular Zambia, DRC, South Africa and Zimbabwe.