SIRIUS /Federal Territory/, November 10. /TASS/. Trade between Russia and African countries has reached an all-time high, and the sides plan to boost it further, despite opposition from the collective West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the plenary session of the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia — Africa Partnership Forum.

"Trade and economic cooperation [between Russia and African countries] is developing," Lavrov said. "We have reached an all-time record in trade - $24.5 billion - and the figure clearly does not reflect the potential that we have yet to unlock, and, despite artificial hurdles being imposed by the collective West, we continue to improve business support mechanisms, find effective logistical solutions and embrace new instruments for mutual settlements that are free from any negative external interference," he emphasized.