MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. Russia and Africa reject the West-imposed rules-based order that benefits exclusively the United States and its satellites, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video message to the international forum Russia-Africa: What’s Next? on Monday.

"In the context of global turbulence caused by the neo-colonial policies of the historical West towards achieving world domination, the demand for Russian-African cooperation is only increasing. We share the rejection of the rule-based order imposed by the former colonial powers, within which it is allowed to do only what is beneficial to Washington and its satellites. We are firm supporters of democratization of international life," Lavrov stressed.

He pointed out that the strengthening of comprehensive partnership with African countries today is among the priorities of Russia's foreign policy.

"Russia highly appreciates its African friends, who just as a vast majority of members of the world community defied unprecedented, brutal pressure, to refuse to join the anti-Russian sanctions, and continue to develop the dialogue and cooperation with us. Such an independent policy focused on national interests deserves deep respect," Lavrov said.

"We regard Africa as a unique and dynamically developing continent, a continent of the future. We consistently advocate the strengthening of its role in the multipolar architecture of the world order. We wish its voice, firm and independent, to be heard and taken into account in the international arena. All the prerequisites for this are in place. The African states are steadily gaining political weight and achieving significant economic successes," Lavrov said. He recalled that the second Russia-Africa summit was scheduled for July 2023. It would be held in St. Petersburg.

"Its goal is to consolidate the results achieved and to agree on new instruments and mechanisms of advancing the Russian-African agenda," Lavrov said. "I hope that the results of the summit will make our cooperation comprehensive."

The first summit and economic forum Russia - Africa was held in Sochi on October 22-24, 2019 under the motto For Peace, Security and Development.