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West attempted to prevent Russia-Africa ministerial meeting, diplomat says

African countries realized that "this pressure contradicts their own national interests", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov Sergey Bobylev/TASS

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov

© Sergey Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. The West tried to prevent the first ministerial meeting of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also serves as special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, told TASS.

"Certainly, as usual, but they pay less and less attention to that," the senior diplomat said, replying to a question about Western pressure on African officials not to attend. According to him, the leadership of African countries realized that "this pressure contradicts their own national interests."

"Why give in to this pressure if in the end your own national interests are harmed? And they realize this," Bogdanov said.

The first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held on November 9-10 in the Sirius Federal Territory on Russia’s Black Sea coast. The event was attended by about 1,500 delegates, including over 40 ministers from African countries.

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