MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced plans to open diplomatic missions in four African countries.

"Next on the agenda is the launch of diplomatic missions in The Gambia, Liberia, Togo, and the Union of the Comoros," he said at a meeting of the Business Council under the Russian foreign minister.

Lavrov noted that Russian embassies began operating in three other African countries in 2025: Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. A new department for partnership with Africa was also established. According to the top diplomat, "expanding Russia’s diplomatic presence on the continent contributes to developing relations."

There are already 45 Russian embassies operating in Africa. The Russian foreign minister noted that Moscow is quickly rebuilding its presence in African countries, which sharply declined during the collapse of the Soviet Union. "There will be literally four or five countries left where we still need to establish full-fledged embassies, and then we will have 100 percent coverage of the entire African continent with our diplomatic presence," Lavrov emphasized.

Anatoly Bashkin, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of African States to the South, earlier told TASS that all decisions on the embassy in The Gambia have been made and an ambassador has been appointed. Logistical preparations are underway in the Comoros: premises are being sought and staff are being recruited. The situation is similar in Togo, where an ambassador will be appointed soon.