ST. PETERSBURG, June 2. /TASS/. Moscow has not received from Bangui any requests on reducing the number of Russian military instructors in the Central African Republic (CAR), Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told journalists on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2021) on Wednesday.
"Our instructors are working at the request of the leadership and the government and military structures of a sovereign independent state, the Central African Republic, so everything depends on their wishes and needs. This is decided in Bangui," he pointed out in response to a corresponding question. "I haven’t yet seen any requests from them. On the contrary, they are very grateful that the preparation of professional servicemen and members of law enforcement is underway. So this work continues," he added.
The senior diplomat also expressed hope to have a face-to-face conversation with the prime minister of the CAR who is heading the republic’s delegation at the SPIEF.