MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/. The Russia-Africa summit in Sochi in October and events prior to it will allow bringing bilateral relations to a new level, Director of the Africa Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry Andrei Kemarsky said on Tuesday.

"The summit, which will be chaired by the Russian and Egyptian presidents, will discuss issues related to the modern international situation, current relations of our countries in political, trade and economic and other areas and their prospects," Kemarsky said at the Africa Day celebrations at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

On the eve of the summit a representative economic Russia-Africa forum will be held involving political and business elite. "I’m sure that in case of success all these events will allow bringing Russian-African relations to a new level," the diplomat said, noting that he expects the support of the Institute for African Studies in this effort.

The first Russia-Africa summit is scheduled to be held in Russia’s Black Sea resort city of Sochi on October 24, 2019. The forum will be co-chaired by Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, who is holding presidency in the African Union in 2019. Heads of more than 50 African states have been invited to the forum.

Before the leaders’ meeting, Moscow will host the Russia-Africa economic conference on June 20-21 and the Russia-Africa parliamentary conference on July 3.