MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. The large-scale participation of African countries in the recent Russia-Africa Summit shows that the West’s attempts to isolate Russia have failed, Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Africa Department Oleg Ozerov said at a Valdai International Discussion Club event on Monday.
He pointed out that delegations from all 54 recognized African countries had taken part in the summit. "This is a tangible result and I would like to draw the attention of our Western colleagues to it in light of their policy to isolate Russia, because today, the West is more likely to find itself isolated in the wake of its policy of isolation," the senior Russian diplomat added.
He noted that the summit’s final declaration was a manifesto "against hegemonic claims and attempts to impose unilateral approaches on others, as well as against unilateral sanctions and colored revolutions."
According to Ozerov, Russia made it clear at the summit that it is determined to build equal cooperation with all countries on the African continent. The summit’s plenary meeting was another proof of that, as it was co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who took turns with Russian leader Vladimir Putin announcing the summit’s speakers.
"Both Russia and Africa need peace and security as a basis for development," Ozerov emphasized, adding that "we need to combine our capabilities to achieve our goals."
Different approaches
When comparing the Africa policies of the West and Russia, the senior diplomat noted that Western transnational corporations generated huge revenues from exploiting Africa’s resources but returned only a small part to the continent in compensation.
Besides, in Ozerov’s words, the West’s attempts to impose its social patterns on African countries were unacceptable.
"We support the principle ‘African solutions to African problems.’ African countries suffered great damage from foreign interference. Take Libya, for instance, Sudan and other countries. They suffered because they had been prevented from resolving conflicts on their own. In addition, political and social patterns, including colored revolutions, had been pressed on them," Ozerov emphasized.
"This is what both Russia and African countries oppose. We call for letting the African people decide for themselves. But it is a different matter when they ask us for assistance and we provide it," he concluded.
On October 23-24, the resort city of Sochi hosted the first ever Russia-Africa Summit, co-chaired by Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt. All 54 African countries participated in the event, 43 of which were represented by heads of state. Eight major African integration associations and organizations were also involved in the event. The Roscongress Foundation organized the summit, and TASS was its official photo hosting agency.