ST. PETERSBURG, July 27. /TASS/. Russia plans to set up branches of top Russian universities in Africa, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

"The opening of campuses of leading Russian universities in Africa is in the works. Close cooperation with African educational institutions is also being established within the framework of the Russian-African Network University," Putin said.

"Today, almost 35,000 students from Africa study in Russian universities and this figure is growing every year. The federal budget education quota for Africans has increased 2.5-fold over three years and will amount to over 4,700 people for the next school year," the Russian head of state noted.

He pointed out that the training of skilled staff "has been and remains" a traditional area of cooperation between Russia and Africa.

"I would like to mention that on the eve of our forum, on July 26, an agreement was signed at the St. Petersburg Mining University on creating a Russian-African consortium of technical universities entitled 'Africa's Mineral Reserves,' which will provide for joint training of specialists for the natural resources sector. I think that this is a very important and interesting direction of interaction," Putin said.

The president noted that Russia will continue to assist Africa in developing not only higher but also general and vocational education. "To prepare teachers, instructors and technical personnel for schools and colleges, to set up joint schools for which adapted methodological materials based on a synthesis of Russian and African national education programs are already being developed," the head of state added.

The second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum is being held on July 27-28 at the Expoforum venue in St. Petersburg under its traditional rubric: "For peace, security and development." The event is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the photo-hosting agency and information partner for the summit and forum, as well as the host of the Second Russia-Africa Media Forum.