In an exclusive interview with Sputnik Africa, Namibia’s Minister of International Relations Peya Mushelenga criticized former colonial powers for maintaining control over African economies and security sectors.
"You see them playing a great role in the economic sectors of these countries, not to the benefit of the former colonies, but to the benefits of former colonizers," he stated on the sidelines of the first Russia-Africa ministerial conference in Sochi.
The minister went on to say that it's "understandable" that if international financial institutions are failing to meet the needs of the global community, some countries might come up with alternatives that better serve their own interests.
"You cannot prevent them," Mushelenga added.
In this context, Mushelenga highlighted Russia’s distinct approach, praising it as a partnership based on equality.
"The approach, that one of through equal partnership, is that what makes Russia an ideal partner for Namibia," Mushelenga stated.
Furthermore, Mushelenga disputed claims of Russia's international isolation, highlighting Africa's high participation in the forum.
"The fact that countries have come here [...] it's self-explanatory that Russia is not isolated from the world," the minister remarked, pointing to the multipolar shift in global dynamics.
Mushelenga also expressed Namibia's openness to Russian investments in sectors like uranium and nuclear energy, calling for expanded trade relations to match the strong political cooperation.
Reflecting on his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, he emphasized the importance of both bilateral and multilateral discussions.
"One of the issues that we talked about is that we do not think that the trade relations between the two countries are at a level of the political cooperation and the good diplomatic relations that the two countries are enjoying. So we are trying to expand trade relations between the two countries," the Namibian top diplomat concluded.
Speaking about international politics, the minister also commented on the promises of the recently elected US President Donald Trump regarding the end of the conflict in Ukraine.
"I believe when President-elect Donald Trump stated that he would ensure that the conflict comes to an end, he is also thinking that there will be dialog in order to bring an end to the conflict," the diplomat stated.
Mushelenga noted that he sees dialogue as key to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict and supports Russian President Putin’s openness to negotiations, while noting that the conflict and sanctions have significant negative economic impacts globally.