MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Russia's cooperation with African countries is aimed at creating new forms of interaction and developing a constructive agenda in various areas, Russian Ambassador-at-Large Oleg Ozerov, who heads the secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, said.

"Cooperation with the African continent is not cooperation against anyone; [rather,] it is cooperation for creating new formats of interaction and developing a constructive agenda in political, economic and humanitarian dimensions that would allow our countries to move forward," he said at a session on Legislative Support for Comprehensive Partnership with African Countries.

According to Ozerov, despite the fact that little time has passed since the second Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July 2023, certain results have already been achieved. "We opened two embassies, in Burkina Faso and in Equatorial Guinea. This is a very big shift. It may not look like it, but it hasn't really happened for the last 30 years. <...> We still have a few embassies left to open, and we are very much counting on the fact that both the expert council [on development and support for comprehensive partnership with African countries] and the [parliamentary lower house State] Duma will support us, because it is absolutely necessary for Russia to be represented in all African countries," Ozerov emphasized.

"Despite all the problems, difficulties and conflicts, there is a consistent development of African countries, and we need to fit into this process," the diplomat concluded.