Russia is confident that under the new Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, relations between Moscow and Dakar will reach a new level, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"We are confident that under the new leadership of the Republic, the mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and Senegal will continue to develop progressively and reach a new level," Zakharova said.
The diplomat stressed that Russia has traditionally friendly relations with Senegal.
"We respect the sovereign choice of the Senegalese people," Zakharova noted. "It is obvious that the Senegalese people are pinning their hopes on this figure for a better future, for positive changes in the political, socio-economic and humanitarian spheres."
The diplomat also noted that Moscow has been paying attention to the new Senegalese leader's intentions to carry out reforms, including in relations with key foreign partners, in particular with the EU countries.
"The trend toward dramatic change is gaining momentum in Africa. We see it too," she added. "Africans are more confidently taking their destiny into their own hands, they are leaving behind the post-colonial past, they are confidently declaring their future as the future of sovereign independent countries, free countries, and these aspirations deserve all the support they can get."
This week, Senegalese leader Faye announced his intention to review relations with the EU "fertilized by a shared vision of a fairer international order."
The president also promised before the election to strengthen Senegal's sovereignty by renewing state institutions and proposed the introduction of a national currency to replace the West African CFA franc, which is partly controlled by the Bank of France and is now in circulation in eight West African countries.
The presidential election in Senegal took place on March 24. Faye won the presidential race with 54.28% of the vote, defeating former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, who received 35.79% of the vote.