Vladimir Putin stresses the importance of Africa for Russia

Strengthening friendly relations with African countries is one of Moscow's priorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed in his congratulatory message to the continent's heads of state and government on the occasion of Africa Day on Thursday, 25 May.

According to the official  Kremlin website, the Russian leader expressed confidence that the second Russia-Africa summit, to be held in July in St Petersburg, would allow Russia to expand cooperation with African states in political, trade, scientific and technical fields.

He also recalled that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, which has played an important role in promoting multilateral dialogue and cooperation for several decades.

"Thanks to its efforts, African countries have been able to create collective mechanisms to respond to local crisis situations and launch regional integration processes in various formats," added the head of state.

Putin stressed that Russia has always attached particular importance to strengthening friendly relations with African partners and recalled that the first Russia-Africa summit held in 2019 served to boost ties in many areas.

On 12 May, South Africa initiated a telephone conversation between the Russian leader and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The two leaders stressed the importance of continuing the close coordination between Russia and South Africa in preparation for the second Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg.

Photo: kremlin.ru