MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Africa will be able to ensure its own food sovereignty in the future by reducing its reliance on external supplies and localizing production, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

"We proceed from the fact that in the long term Africa is certainly capable of providing itself with food. In this context, it becomes of paramount importance for African nations to achieve food sovereignty, meaning less reliance on external supplies by boosting crop yields, building up reserves, and localizing the production of finished food products," he said.

Moscow provides significant humanitarian assistance to Africa, Ryabkov noted. "Supplies of Russian agricultural products and food are often viewed by our friends in Africa as evidence of our country’s reliability and its readiness to support them during difficult times, and to do it selflessly," he said.