Special Russian Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Mikhail Bogdanov met with the ambassadors of African countries and discussed the latest preparations for the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit.
According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Bogdanov held a final meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions of African states accredited in Moscow ahead of the major gathering.
"The heads of the relevant departments of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Roscongress Foundation, who participated in the dialogue, informed the African diplomatic corps about the latest preparatory activities for the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit, including the results of joint work [...] on the content of the meeting," the statement says.
The Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum will be held in St. Petersburg on July 27-28. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the summit is a key diplomatic event in Moscow's ties with the continent. All African nations were invited to take part in the historic summit, and more than half have confirmed that their top-level officials will attend.
The event is aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between Russia and the continent, promoting political dialogue, expanding economic cooperation, as well as encouraging cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
The occasion is also seen as an opportunity to evaluate the progress and achievements of the first Russia-Africa Summit, which was held in the Russian resort city of Sochi back in 2019, and to set new goals and priorities to further the development of Russia-Africa cooperation in various fields of mutual interest.