MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Russia intends to address existing trade and regional imbalances in its trade turnover with African countries, Director of the Department for Bipartite Cooperation Development at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development Pavel Kalmychek said.
"Unfortunately, our trade turnover is characterized by a significant imbalance: Russian exports exceed imports by almost seven times. To achieve a more balanced structure, it is necessary to further develop logistics and payment infrastructure. We must increase imports from African countries, and this is one of the key objectives set before the government and the Ministry of Economic Development," Kalmychek noted.
He emphasized that one of the priority tasks is the development of trade with countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
"Currently, nearly 70% of total trade turnover falls on the northern part of the continent. Our goal is to correct this regional imbalance and strengthen cooperation with other African nations," the Ministry representative added.
According to Kalmychek, Russia is ready to assist its African partners in gaining access to Russian markets, including through retail networks.
"We are actively supporting our African partners in entering Russian retail chains so that these supplies can reach Russia and other Eurasian countries. This is an important part of our joint efforts to eliminate trade imbalances," he emphasized.