Western countries continue to impose their version of democracy globally, often pushing their own interests while disregarding the sovereignty and traditions of other nations, Russia's Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko said after the opening of the Sputnik editorial hub in Ethiopia.
"The West pursues a policy of suppression, subordinating others to its will, and it does so harshly, pursuing only its national interests," she said in an interview with Dmitry Kiselev, Director General of the Sputnik News Agency's parent organization Rossiya Segodnya.
This approach forces countries into a model of development that may not be in line with their own cultural or historical context.
In contrast, Russia's cooperation with African nations offers a path that respects sovereignty and promotes mutual development. Africa, with its vast natural resources and growing economies, is becoming a key pillar in the emerging multipolar world, Matviyenko noted.
"The world is actively moving towards a multipolar structure," Matviyenko stressed. "Africa will be, and already is, one of the key pillars of this multipolar world because they are developing so rapidly."