MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his visiting counterpart from the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso.
The two leaders will discuss "prospects for the development of bilateral relations in various spheres, as well as issues on the regional and international agenda," the Kremlin press ervice said.
Sassou Nguesso arrived in Russia on June 25 and will complete his visit on June 29.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the Republic of the Congo in early June.
Focus on Africa
Sassou Nguesso is the fourth African leader to visit Russia in 2024. Chadian President of the transition Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno visited Russia on January 24, President of Guinea Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo paid a visit to Russia on May 9, and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited Russian in early June and took part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Russia is actively developing partnership relations with African countries. In the summer 2023, St. Petersburg hosted the Russia-Africa summit and Sassou Nguesso was among its participants. Back then, Putin held a personal meeting with the Congolese leader, who shared his recollection of his trips to the former Soviet Union and hailed the "long tradition of friendship and cooperation" between the two countries.
Area of cooperation
This year, Russia and the Republic of the Congo mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
According to the Russian president, leading Russian companies, such as Lukoil, Yandex, and Rosatom, were "efficiently working" in the Republic of the Congo and a number of large-scale projects were expected to be launched in the future. Issues of trade-and-economic cooperation will be on the agenda of a meeting of the intergovernmental commission, which will meet in Moscow this year.
The two countries are also developing partnership in the military-technical sphere. In 2019, Moscow and Brazzaville signed an agreement on the work of Russian military specialists in the Republic of the Congo. The Russian foreign minister said after his visit to that country, that Sassou Nguesso had said that Brazzaville was ready to continue military and military-technical cooperation with Russia. The Congolese army uses Soviet- and Russian-made weapons, combat vehicles and helicopters.