Russia-Guinea Joint Commission to Discuss Energy Issues, African Country's Foreign Minister Says

A joint Russian-Guinean commission is expected to meet in 2025; the meeting will discuss, among other issues, the development of energy relations, Guinean Foreign Minister Morissanda Kouyate said in an interview with Sputnik on the sidelines of the first ministerial meeting of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, held in Sochi on November 9-10.

"A large joint Russian-Guinean commission will meet in 2025. And now we are reviewing all our agreements. Both sides want this to happen as soon as possible. I can't give you a date because I haven't discussed it with Mr. Lavrov. But he and I have expressed the desire to hold the meeting as soon as possible," Kouyate said.

The location of the commission meeting has not yet been determined, he noted.

"But that is not the main thing. The main thing is that we meet, talk and strengthen our good relations. With no taboos. We will discuss social and economic issues and all the economic projects that are on the agenda of this great plan Simandou 2040 [Senegal's national development program until 2040]. We also want Russia to present its vision," the Guinean minister said.

The foreign minister stressed that Guinea is not yet negotiating with any specific Russian company in the electricity sector.

"There is the reality that we need electricity, and there is the reality that we do not cooperate much with Russia in this direction. And so at the big mixed commission that we will have, this will be on the agenda, we will discuss it. No taboo. Nothing prevents us from discussing with our Russian friends the development of Guinea and Russia. I always want to emphasize this because Guinea is not a poor country," Kouyate pointed out.

According to the speaker, Guinea is rich, but it does not yet have the technologies that would allow the country to use its wealth for the benefit of the people.

On the sidelines of the event, Morissanda Kouyate also discussed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov the Guinean initiative Simandou 2040, which defines the main directions of the country's development, including cooperation with Russia and other partners.

"First, I presented him with a new project, the program of the President of the Republic of Guinea, his excellency army general Mamadi Doumbouya, his vision, which he has embodied in the Simandou 2040 program. We need everyone, including the Russians, especially since the Russians have always cooperated with us. I presented the project to him and he welcomed it. But we did not talk about Ukraine," the top diplomat said.

Guinea is one of the richest countries in Africa in terms of resources, the foreign minister noted.

"It has the largest iron deposit in the world; the second-largest bauxite deposit in the world. The president has developed a concept to use these resources for the benefit of the Guinean people," the country's foreign minister stressed.

Conakry and Moscow have already signed some documents, including during Lavrov's visit to Guinea, the speaker reported.

"So we don't need them this time. As you must know, Guinea is one of the first African countries that established brotherly cooperation with the Soviet Union back then. So we need to strengthen this cooperation," Kouyate concluded.

Conakry is Proud of Cooperation With Russia's RUSAL Aluminum Company

Russian company RUSAL has no problems working in Guinea; Conakry is proud of cooperation with it; everything is going very well, Kouyate also noted.

"RUSAL has been working in Guinea for almost two decades. Everything is going very well. As in any business, sometimes there are problems. Everything depends on the situation. There are ups and downs; there can be small misunderstandings. This is natural. But RUSAL has no serious problems in Guinea," he explained.

Guinea is proud to work with RUSAL, with Russia, which has supported Guinea since the first hours of its independence, the Guinean minister concluded.