MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent greetings to the attendees, hosts and participants of the second Russian-African Conference on Combating Infectious Diseases, noting Russia’s full support for African colleagues in ensuring biological security.

"Partnership ties between our country and African states in countering the spread of dangerous infections have been developing very dynamically recently: Russia’s specialized agencies have been providing their African colleagues with full support in ensuring biological security," the Russian leader said in a statement published on the Kremlin’s website.

According to him, a network of mobile anti-epidemic laboratories is being established across the continent, which already includes 20 modern scientific and technological complexes provided by Russia. Furthermore, hundreds of African students and specialists are studying and interning in Russia’s universities and research centers, the Russian leader indicated. In addition, last year saw the first-ever joint Russian-African exercises of rapid response teams for emergency sanitary and epidemiological incidents held in Ethiopia.

"I have every confidence that those in attendance at today’s conference - the representatives of government agencies and international bodies, scientists and doctors - are going to conduct thorough discussions and exchange experiences, enabling them to unlock new forms and areas of partner ties in the context of protecting the inhabitants of the African continent and their health," Putin added.

He conveyed his best wishes to the event’s participants.