Russia's openness towards African nations strengthens ties and fosters further cooperation, Inga Koryagina, director for international development of the Russian-African Club of Moscow State University, told Sputnik Africa.
"Russia is opening its gates to the African continent, to all the 54 African countries, showing that we are ready for educational, cultural, business cooperation, so any projects, any initiatives will be supported in Russia," she noted.
Commenting on Tuesday's Russia-Zambia friendly football match held in Moscow, the speaker highlighted the event's positive atmosphere as a catalyst for strengthening ties with Zambia and fostering new joint initiatives across Africa.
"Russia has always been uniting countries. We are very friendly. Honestly, Zambia was the first country because of which I fell in love with Africa. It is very friendly, loving. Here is a great atmosphere, everybody is full of energy, enthusiasm, and you can feel that people are ready, the continents are ready to go towards each other," Koryagina said, describing the vibes at the stadium.