MOSCOW, October 30. /TASS/. Moscow and Juba maintain friendly relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

"At the plenary session yesterday, we had another opportunity to see that our countries share a mutual desire to develop bilateral ties. Our relations with South Sudan are friendly. This year, we celebrated 15 years of diplomatic relations," Putin said.

He noted that the parties had held substantive talks during Kiir’s previous visit to Russia in September 2023. "We were able to thoroughly discuss bilateral and regional issues then, and agreed to open Russia’s embassy in Juba, which will undoubtedly benefit ties between our two counties," Putin said.

He pointed out that the parties were working together to explore options to boost bilateral trade and economic cooperation. "Clearly, its potential has yet to be fully realized. We will continue to assist with personnel training for South Sudan. We have increased the quota for 2026-2027 to 40 people," the Russian leader specified.

According to him, Russia is satisfied with its cooperation with South Sudan on the international stage, particularly within the United Nations, which is based on the proximity of positions on key issues. "Today, we have a good opportunity to compare our positions on the key issues related to our cooperation," Putin said.