International Organization for Standardization (ISO) President Khaled Soufi has described standards cooperation between China and Africa as a "win-win" opportunity, highlighting key prospects in agriculture and electric vehicles.
The ISO chief was among 150 representatives from 33 countries and organizations attending the 2026 China-Africa Standardization Cooperation Conference from Saturday to Monday, which aims to take forward commitments from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit.
Soufi singled out agriculture as a priority for Africa, while pointing to China's electric vehicle sector as a source of technology and ideas that could benefit the continent.
"Actually this meeting is a great opportunity for enhancing the African-Chinese cooperation. It's a long-term relationship between Africa and China. And China have all the innovation, and they can bring new ideas. I believe the agri sector is very important for Africa. But on the other hand, what we can see in China, especially in the sector of EVs, electrical vehicles, is very important for Africa because it's new ideas, a symbol, and actually it's also very good for the idea of sustainability, saving fuel and saving money," he said.
He called for the two sides to work on a win-win basis, combining efforts in agriculture and innovation to bring new technology to Africa.
"So, what we need to do is work on a win-win basis, working together in agri sector and also in innovation sector to bring this innovation to Africa because we are still using the old methodologies. So, we need to go further more ahead. And I believe this is a good chance if we work together in this area," Soufi said.
ISO president sees strong prospects for China-Africa standards collaboration in agriculture, EVs
A Ukrainian negotiating team is en route to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for talks with representatives of Russia and the United States, said the country's primary negotiator Rustem Umerov in a post published on X on Monday.
The trilateral negotiations are scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Umerov, who is also head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.
Representatives of European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, as well as officials from NATO and the European Commission, will also be present in Abu Dhabi, he said.
Umerov said that Ukraine plans to hold separate coordination meetings with its European partners.
"Our goal is a long-term and sustainable peace, guaranteed security for Ukraine, and real opportunities for Ukraine's post-war recovery," he said.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference that "security for Russia, Ukraine and the region as a whole is the very first item on the agenda" for the Abu Dhabi meeting, which will mark the first trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States since February.
Lavrov said Russia had taken note of a statement from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing that security issues are of paramount importance, both for the upcoming talks and for the situation surrounding the Ukrainian conflict as a whole.
Russia welcomes the U.S. approach to the security issue, he said.
Lavrov said there is a "shared understanding that these negotiations are intended to agree on the principles that will ultimately be endorsed as part of a comprehensive settlement."
Lavrov said that Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov being part of the negotiating team was "entirely natural" as Ryabkov is responsible for North Atlantic affairs and arms control and spent a considerable part of his career working on issues related to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Ukraine delegation heads to Abu Dhabi talks as Russia says security tops agenda
