MOSCOW, February 13. /TASS/. African countries are stepping up efforts to strengthen security on the continent, and Russia's comprehensive contribution to this process is very visible, Russian Foreign Ministry Africa Department Director Vsevolod Tkachenko said in an interview with TASS.

"In general, the potential to counter the complex of security threats on the continent is growing, primarily due to the efforts of Africans themselves at all levels. Russia provides full support to these efforts, and its contribution is very visible," the diplomat said.

In this context, he explained that Russia works both in a multilateral framework, primarily as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and on a bilateral basis. "We maintain a political dialogue with the countries of the continent and their associations, cooperate on widely understood security issues, and, if the situation requires it, we promptly respond to requests from African partners for assistance," Tkachenko said.

Commenting on the political uncertainty of recent years, as a result of which power has changed in a number of African countries, the diplomat expressed confidence that the events that took place in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger "have a common denominator."

"This is a desire to end the remnants of dependence on the former colonial power, ensure nationally oriented development, and increase efforts to counter the terrorist threat," he continued. "There is no doubt that one of the main challenges to peace and security on the African continent are the ISIS (Islamic State, banned in Russia as a terrorist group) militant groups that have taken root in a number of [African] regions after the West undermined Libya’s statehood."

"At the same time, the overall stability and security of Africa is by no means limited to countering the terrorist threat; it includes not only military, but also socio-economic, environmental, cultural and moral values aspects," the diplomat concluded.