LONDON, July 21. /TASS/. Russia is working to open new diplomatic missions in Africa in an attempt to boost its relations with countries of the continent, Russian Charge d’Affaires in London Alexander Gusarov told African diplomats at a briefing on Thursday.

"I am happy to report that the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation is currently working on expanding our diplomatic foothold across the continent, with new diplomatic and consular posts set to be opening their doors," he said.

Gusarov stressed that "one of the key objectives" of Russia’s foreign policy doctrine was "to forge a closer partnership" with African countries and increase bilateral trade and investment.

The Russian diplomat went on to say that since 2019, when the first Russia-Africa summit took place, cooperation between Moscow and African countries has reached "new heights."

"Our trade turnover with African countries has grown two-fold over the last ten years. In 2022, it stood at $18 billion, with $6 billion accounting for sub-Saharan Africa," Gusarov added.

Over the past years, Russia’s direct investment in Africa exceeded $400 million.

He said that trade between Russia and the continent is becoming more diverse, with high-tech projects in nuclear energy, defense and space being added to the list of traditional areas of cooperation, such as mining and prospecting.

The second Russia-Africa summit is set to take place in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg on July 27-28. The first summit was held on October 22-24, 2019 in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. The event's motto was "For Peace, Security and Development.".