MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. Development of partnership between Russia and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will help build a fair world order and ensure sustainable development of African nations, a high-ranking Russian Foreign Ministry official said.

SADC, one of the largest and most influential sub-regional associations in Africa, includes 16 countries.

"We are firmly convinced that Russia’s cooperation with SADC will make a swift contribution to efforts toward forming a more democratic and fairer world order and will ensure sustainable development of African countries, the progress and prosperity of their peoples," Andrey Stolyarov, deputy director of the ministry’s Africa department, said at an event on SADC association day marking the 32nd anniversary of the organization.

He stressed that SADC’s visible achievements clearly demonstrate that more that 30 years ago the association’s member countries "made the right choice in favor of strengthening political and economic integration." "All necessary conditions have been created under the SADC auspices to maintain the favorable investment climate to implement various economic and social projects," he went on to say. "Special attention is focused on joint efforts towards maintaining peace and security, settling conflicts and stabilizing the situation in the region."

"Russia is committed to closer cooperation with SADC," the diplomat said, adding that Moscow and the association’s representatives are working on a plan of action within the memorandum of understanding between the Russian government and SADC. The document will outline measures to implement concrete joint programs in the coming years.