The development of cooperation with African countries is one of Russia's foreign policy priorities, but Russia is not going to "exploit Africa." The statement was made to reporters on Thursday by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, who is on an official visit to Zimbabwe.
"For the last decade we have been actively returning to Africa, returning as friends. We come to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, not to exploit Africa, as many other nations do. We should note that, of course, both the world has changed and Africa itself has changed. Today it is a actively developing region, which opens new opportunities for us, for Russia, to develop economic cooperation," said Matviyenko after her meeting with President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa.
"There are absolutely real spheres and directions where we will ensure mutually beneficial cooperation. I can say that the development of cooperation with Africa is one of Russia's foreign policy priorities," she added.
The speaker of the Federation Council has also stressed that the second Russia-Africa summit is being prepared and new formats of cooperation are being discussed with due account for "the new realities that have emerged".
The first Russia-Africa summit was held in Sochi on October 23-24, 2019, under the co-chairmanship of Russian and Egyptian presidents Vladimir Putin and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The second summit is scheduled for the fall of 2022.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS