"Russia is not putting pressure on African countries about politics," it just wants to help the continent, the President of Cameroonian diaspora in Russia and Editor-in-Chief of Hello Africa magazine, Louis Gowend, told Sputnik Africa.
"That is very important because African countries have to define themselves, their politics," he said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2024.
He praised this Russian approach, adding that that's why African nations "would like to do business with Russia."
Speaking on why Africa is attractive to Russian investors and vice versa, Gowend said that it is necessary for both sides to have many different partners, apart from the West and Asia, so that they have a choice.
"When you diversify your partners, you have more opportunities. This is right for Africa and also for Russia," he noted.
Commenting on the European Union banning Russian media while claiming to promote freedom of speech, Gowend highlighted that the West is "telling one thing and doing another one."
The EU's blocking of Sputnik and other Russian media is "not a good thing," the diaspora president of the underlined.
"We should have free expression. Because, people can listen to different opinions, and they can choose by themselves," he noted.
The SPIEF 2024 is taking place on June 5-8, and will bring together thousands of representatives from government, business, and professional societies from about 130 countries.