Lavrov visited Addis Ababa at the end of a four-country African tour aimed at mobilizing support for Moscow at a time when the confrontation with Western powers over the Russian military operation in Ukraine is escalating.
Most African countries, aware of the importance of economic interests and historical relations with both Russia and the West, have refused to take sides in the Ukraine crisis.
Ethiopia was seen as a staunch ally of the West until the outbreak of conflict in the northern Tigray region in November 2020.
The Ethiopian government has come under pressure from the United States and the European Union over its handling of the conflict, which has killed thousands and displaced millions.
“We affirmed our firm support for the government’s efforts to stabilize the internal situation and launch a comprehensive national dialogue to solve the main problems,” Lavrov said during a joint media briefing with his Ethiopian counterpart Demakim Konen.
Lavrov described African countries that are trying to determine their future and solve their problems, as part of a tendency to form a multipolar world, which he accused the West of standing against in favor of American hegemony.
For his part, Demaki said his country is grateful for “Russia’s steadfast support in helping us protect Ethiopia’s sovereignty,” Reuters reported.
The Ethiopian government has accused its foreign critics of seeking to interfere in its internal affairs unjustly.
Lavrov’s comments on the two previous stops in the Republic of the Congo and Uganda were dominated by the idea of presenting Russia as a respected friend of Africa, unlike the Western powers.
The Russian minister elaborated on this point during a half-hour speech he made in front of diplomats at the Russian embassy in Addis Ababa, during which he presented the positions of the Russian government regarding Ukraine and international relations in general, where he said: “I am confident that the vast majority of countries in the world do not You want to live as if the colonial era is back.”
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