Africa Will Never Forget Western Countries Transporting People in Cages, Putin Says

No one in Africa will forget how Western countries shipped people in cages, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"What did the former colonizers do? Back in 1957 - I was recently shown pictures - people in cages were brought from Africa to European countries, for example, to Belgium. It is impossible to watch without tears," he said while addressing the plenary session of the ongoing Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok.

Putin added that these people - families or children on their own - were put on display in cages.

"How could it be so? No one in Africa will forget it," the head of state insisted.

According to the Russian president, Western countries are now attempting to "commandeer and enforce neocolonial policies on the continent".

"[Western countries] have burdened all the countries of Africa - they owe trillions in dollar terms. In other words, they have created such a debt mountain for Africa, that African countries cannot, by definition, pay back the loans granted to them at all. This is not even a credit relationship - it is like some kind of ownership," Putin added.

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President Putin also pointed out that the countries, including African nations, to which Russia used to help in the past, still retain their historical memory, so it is not difficult to rebuild relations with them.

"The historical memory of those peoples with whom we were friends, with whom we communicated, whom we often helped in their development, has been preserved. And it is not difficult for us to restore relations on new principles, which is what people in these countries want too. This applies to Laos - we see many friends there - it applies to the Asia-Pacific region as a whole, it applies to Africa," the head of state said.

Putin further stressed that Russia has never been a colonialist state, cooperation has always been built on an equal basis or with a desire to help and support, and countries that compete with Moscow have pursued a completely different policy.

"What's the most important thing? It is that we have never been colonizers anywhere. Our cooperation has always been built on an equal basis or with a desire to help and support. And those countries that are trying to compete with us, including now, have pursued a completely different policy. When people compare what happened in previous times in cooperation with Russia, with the Soviet Union and with other countries, of course, everything turns out in favor of Russia," the head of state said.

Putin also added that today it is necessary to take this into account and keep it in mind.

The 8th edition of the EEF is taking place on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University between 10 and 13 September. Sputnik is the forum's official media partner.