Moscow expects that political consultations between the Foreign Ministers of Russia and the African Troika, including the issue of holding the second Russia-Africa summit, will soon be resumed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday following talks with Gabon's Foreign Minister Pacom Moubele-Boubeya.
"The pandemic, understandably, interfered with the implementation of measures that were agreed upon at the Sochi summit, but nevertheless, many of them were and continue to be implemented via videoconferencing. We hope that in the very near future face-to-face contacts will also resume, including political consultations between the Foreign Ministers of the African Troika and the Russian Federation, including on preparations for the second summit," he said, answering a question to TASS.
The Minister recalled that in addition to the political declaration adopted at the first summit in Sochi, a memorandum on the basis of relations between the Russian government and the African Union Commission was agreed upon and signed. "We have a Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Forum in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will work and is already working on a permanent basis, including now finalizing for submission to the African Union Commission a plan of action on cooperation," the Minister added. - "That is the framework documents: The Declaration and the Memorandum of Relationship Framework. And now we are preparing a document with practical steps on the materialization of agreements reached at the highest level".
The second Russia-Africa summit will be held in 2022 in an African country.
Solution of African problems
According to Lavrov, solving Africa's problems requires a comprehensive approach involving coordinated action by Africans themselves with the support of the global community.
"Special attention was paid to the situation on the African continent. We have a common view that an effective solution to the numerous problems that persist here requires a comprehensive approach, which involves, above all, coordinated action by Africans themselves with the support of the world community," the Minister said.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS