Photo credit: kremlin.ru
The Russian president Vladimir Putin called
Russia-Africa summit, which opens three days later in Sochi, an unprecedented event, the Kremlin website reports. The forum to be first high-level meeting bringing together leaders from different countries of the African continent and heads of major associations of the region.
Putin expressed hope that guests from Africa would present proposals at the summit that would help promote cooperation. He assured that Moscow also had plans aimed at strengthening ties in all areas with African states.
The Russian leader is convinced that the forum will be successful because there are all the necessary conditions for this. In his opinion, at the present stage, Russian-African relations are on the rise.
The relations between Russia and the states of the African continent are friendly in nature, they have been tested for many years. Russia has an important role in the liberation of the continent. Moscow contributed to the struggle of the peoples of Africa against colonialism, racism and apartheid, helped to defend the independence and sovereignty of the new states, form the foundations of the national economy, and create combat-ready armed forces.
Russian experts built important infrastructure, hydroelectric power stations, roads and industrial enterprises in Africa. Thousands of Africans received high-quality professional education in Russian universities. Thousands of African students study at Russian universities now.
Today, the development and strengthening of mutually beneficial ties with African countries and their integration associations is one of the important areas of Russian foreign policy, the president states. He emphasized that the African agenda had a positive, forward-looking character. “We are not friends with anyone against anyone and strongly reject any geopolitical games around Africa,” the Russian leader summed up.
Russkiy Mir
