NAIROBI, December 28. /TASS Daria Labutina/. Learning the Russian language is becoming increasingly popular in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and other African countries, Russian Ambassador to Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso Alexey Saltykov said in an interview with TASS.

"Russian is popular throughout Africa, especially in Burkina Faso, a country that has maintained friendly relations with Russia for decades," Saltykov said. "Many of Burkina Faso’s professionals and political figures have studied in our country over the years," the ambassador said.

Russian-language media resources are also in demand in Africa, particularly as they provide an alternative point of view concerning global affairs compared to the narratives disseminated by Western media outlets, Saltykov added.

"The Russian language is respected here, and there is a desire for it to be taught at different levels: from elementary school to higher educational institutions," he noted, adding that the project to establish a Russian Center for Science and Culture, where Russian will be taught, is at its final stage. "All formalities required for establishing the center have been completed, and only the official launch of the project remains," the diplomat said.

The ambassador emphasized that a strong interest in learning Russian is also evident in neighboring Ivory Coast. "Here, too, they want to speak Russian, to know about our country, and to read the news in Russian," Saltykov said.

On December 28, the Russian embassy will resume operations in Burkina Faso’s capital city, Ouagadougou, after a 31-year hiatus. A ceremony is planned with the participation of Burkinabe officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps of friendly countries, the media, and Russian compatriots. As TASS reported earlier, the size of the embassy staff in Burkina Faso will be in line with the average staffing levels at most Russian diplomatic missions in West Africa.