ST. PETERSBURG, July 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited African athletes to take part in the International University Sports Festival in Yekaterinburg and the Games of the Future in Kazan.

"We invite athletes from Africa to take part in the International University Sports Festival set to take place in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in August and the Games of the Future, a unique combination of dynamic sports and the most popular video games and technologies, which will be held in the city of Kazan in February and March 2024. The new competition format aims to combine classic and innovative new sports," the president said, addressing a plenary session of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

Putin emphasized that Russia thinks it is very important to collaborate with African nations in the field of physical education and sports and was ready to continue developing ties with their sports federations. "We call for stepping up interaction between the sports universities of Russia and African countries, carrying out university exchanges and implementing volunteer programs, as well as for holding matches in various sports between educational institutions, including universities," the head of state said.

The second Russia-Africa Summit, along with an economic and humanitarian forum, is taking place in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on July 27-28. Just like the first such event, the summit is being held under the rubric "For Peace, Security and Development." The event is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS, which is the information partner and photo hosting agency of the summit and forum, is also hosting the second Russia-Africa media forum.