MOSCOW, June 19. /TASS/. The issue of establishing independent payment systems will be discussed at the Russia-Africa Summit, which will take place in Moscow in October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with Madagascar's Foreign Minister Alice N'Diaye.

"We have been building new relations with Africa since the early 2000s, and now that we have the opportunity to give substance to these relations through concrete projects, we are once again returning to a strategy aimed at ensuring the self-sufficiency of our African friends. The third summit, which, as I mentioned, will take place in Moscow this October, will focus on concrete steps to implement this strategy," Lavrov said. "The agenda includes not only traditional areas such as energy, including nuclear power, but also digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and, importantly, a discussion on the further development of reliable, independent payment systems," the top Russian diplomat said.

"We don't need to change our strategy. We need to put it into practice," Lavrov said when responding to a question about how Moscow might adjust its strategy on the African continent, given the West’s influence on African nations. "I think we're on the right track, and our African partners see great value in this kind of initiative, because after every summit, our practical relations receive a fresh boost," the he added.

The 3rd Russia-Africa Summit will take place on October 28-29 in Moscow.