MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Namibian Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi will hold talks in the Russian capital on Wednesday. The Namibian official will be making a working visit to Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The two top diplomats will focus on ways to strengthen bilateral relations, expand political dialogue and boost trade and economic ties.
"The parties plan to thoroughly discuss the current state of and the prospects for the development of traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Namibia, outline practical steps to further strengthen political dialogue and communication, and boost mutually beneficial partnership in the trade, economic, humanitarian and other fields," the Russian Foreign Ministry specified.
In addition, the parties will also exchange views on international and regional issues of mutual interest, "with an emphasis on a more effective coordination within the UN and other multilateral organizations."
Previous meetings
The Russian and Namibian foreign ministers maintain regular contact. They last met on the sidelines of the second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Forum in Cairo in December, where Lavrov held talks with more than 20 African counterparts.
On that occasion, the two top diplomats reaffirmed that both Moscow and Windhoek were determined to consistently expand bilateral ties, deepening political and diplomatic dialogue and increasing mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, economic, investment, humanitarian and other fields.
Selma Ashipala-Musavyi told TASS on the sidelines of the Cairo event that Namibia expected to ensure access to the Russian market for a wider range of goods. She also pointed to Namibia’s growing popularity among Russian tourists.