"The symbolism of Putin and Trump talking together maybe offers us brighter prospects and lessons for the current belligerents in the various intense conflicts across our continent. I do hope that those involved in violence can learn from this example and begin to talk to each other directly," he explained.
"The recent reports of the conversation between the elected leaders of Russia and the US should be welcomed, and I think [it] is being welcomed. But they also need to be encouraged to deepen their discussions so that it's not only dealing with issues as they appear today, but that more effort is placed on uncovering the root causes of the conflict," he said.
"It's impossible to understand the amounts of resources being devoted to the industry that generates military equipment as opposed to improving the quality of life of those affected on a daily basis by the hostilities coming from things like unsafe water, lack of electricity, no Internet connection. These are the things that I think provide us the basis of a justifiable, of a livable peace. And these are the things that I would encourage us to embrace and take forward, encouraging both Russia and the United States of America to also see this in our collective interest," Maharajh concluded.