MAPUTO /Mozambique/, May 31. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Mozambique’s capital Maputo on Tuesday evening, continuing his African tour, a TASS correspondent reported.

The top Russian diplomat is expected to hold talks with the country’s political leadership.

Earlier, Lavrov visited Kenya and Burundi during his third trip to Africa in 2023.

The Russian foreign minister’s previous visits to Mozambique took place in 2013 and 2018.

After visiting Maputo, Lavrov will depart to Cape Town to attend a meeting of foreign ministers from the BRICS group of nations (Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa).

Speaker of Mozambique’s Assembly (parliament) Esperanca Bias visited Moscow in April. She expressed her country’s readiness to strengthen bilateral cooperation, adding that the partnership of Russia and Mozambique was of strategic nature. The country’s President Filipe Nyusi is expected to visit Russia in July to participate in the second Russia-Africa summit.

Russia and Mozambique established diplomatic relations on June 25, 1975 - the day when the country proclaimed independence. The two states have also set up a bilateral intergovernmental commission on economic, technological and scientific cooperation, which had its second session in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg in November 2022. A number of bilateral agreements in various spheres - from defense to humanitarian cooperation have been signed.

During the talks in Maputo, the two delegations are expected to discuss ways to boost bilateral relations and address internatonal issues, including situation in various African countries, cooperation in the United Nations and the situation around Ukraine.