MOSCOW, October 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold more than 10 bilateral meetings with the leaders of African states.

The Russian president’s schedule for today includes meetings with the leaders of Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Togo, Eritrea, Somalia and the Union of the Comoros.

The meetings will take place following the Russia-Africa Summit, which was held in the capital of Russia on October 28 and 29.

During this Summit, Putin already held a number of bilateral meetings with African leaders, including from Namibia, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia and other African countries.

The Russian president also attended two plenary sessions and an Economic and Humanitarian Forum, a meeting with the heads of regional organizations in Africa and later answered questions from the media.

About the summit

The Russia-Africa summit is being held for the third time and, for the first time, in Moscow. The previous summit took place in St. Petersburg in the summer of 2023, while the inaugural summit was held in Sochi in the fall of 2019.

Russia’s relations with African countries have been marked by a longstanding atmosphere of friendship. Moscow maintains that, unlike Western countries seeking to preserve their remaining influence on the continent, Russia was never a colonial power in Africa. As a result, it engages with its African counterparts without prejudice, treating them as equals and pursuing mutually beneficial partnerships.