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Russia to Open Four New African Embassies, Lavrov Says
(MENAFN) Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Wednesday the imminent opening of four additional Russian embassies across Africa, signaling Moscow's accelerating drive to rebuild influence on a continent it largely abandoned following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Lavrov made the announcement while addressing a meeting of Russian regional governors in Moscow focused on deepening cooperation with Africa, where he acknowledged the continent's persistent structural economic vulnerability.
"The lion's share of added value is still produced in other countries, largely and crucially in former metropolitan areas," he noted, pointing to Africa's continued role as a supplier of raw materials rather than a generator of finished economic output.
The minister flagged the upcoming Russia-Africa summit as the centerpiece of Moscow's near-term foreign policy agenda. "The main upcoming event in the foreign policy calendar is the third Russia-Africa summit. It is scheduled to take place in Moscow (as agreed) at the end of October this year. It is currently being prepared," he said, adding that economic development will rank among the summit's core agenda items.
On the trade front, Lavrov cited substantial momentum, noting that bilateral trade between Russia and Africa surpassed $27 billion last year — a figure representing a several-fold increase compared to a decade ago, buoyed in part by direct ties between Russian regions and African partners. "Eighty-one regions maintain cooperative relations with African countries to one degree or another," he said.
Regarding the embassy expansion, Lavrov confirmed the scale of Russia's current footprint and its planned growth. "Currently, there are 45 Russian embassies operating on the continent, and four more will open in the near future," he said — bringing Moscow's total diplomatic presence in Africa to 49 missions and marking one of its most tangible steps yet toward reclaiming the regional standing it lost when the Soviet Union dissolved.
Lavrov made the announcement while addressing a meeting of Russian regional governors in Moscow focused on deepening cooperation with Africa, where he acknowledged the continent's persistent structural economic vulnerability.
"The lion's share of added value is still produced in other countries, largely and crucially in former metropolitan areas," he noted, pointing to Africa's continued role as a supplier of raw materials rather than a generator of finished economic output.
The minister flagged the upcoming Russia-Africa summit as the centerpiece of Moscow's near-term foreign policy agenda. "The main upcoming event in the foreign policy calendar is the third Russia-Africa summit. It is scheduled to take place in Moscow (as agreed) at the end of October this year. It is currently being prepared," he said, adding that economic development will rank among the summit's core agenda items.
On the trade front, Lavrov cited substantial momentum, noting that bilateral trade between Russia and Africa surpassed $27 billion last year — a figure representing a several-fold increase compared to a decade ago, buoyed in part by direct ties between Russian regions and African partners. "Eighty-one regions maintain cooperative relations with African countries to one degree or another," he said.
Regarding the embassy expansion, Lavrov confirmed the scale of Russia's current footprint and its planned growth. "Currently, there are 45 Russian embassies operating on the continent, and four more will open in the near future," he said — bringing Moscow's total diplomatic presence in Africa to 49 missions and marking one of its most tangible steps yet toward reclaiming the regional standing it lost when the Soviet Union dissolved.
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