The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov accused the West on Monday of “artificially exaggerating” the global crisis stemming from the war with Ukraine during his visit to the Republic of Congo as part of his African tour and after meeting with the country’s president, Dénis Sassou Nguesso.
(Read: Ukraine is getting ready to start grain exports despite the attacks)
“We do not approve of attempts to use the situation in Ukraine as a pretext to forget the long-running conflicts that have gone on for decades unresolved in which The West has adopted a very timid position, as in the case of Israel and Palestine“, Lavrov told the media from the city of Oyo, in the center of the country and about 400 kilometers north of the capital, Brazzaville.
We do not approve of attempts to use the situation in Ukraine as a pretext
Lavrov began his tour of the continent this Sunday in Egypt, during which he will also visit Uganda and Ethiopia, on a trip that will overlap in time with the African tour of French President Emmanuel Macron, which starts this Tuesday and will include Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
“There are many unresolved crises on the African continent and we welcome the role played by the Republic of Congo and its presidency in mobilizing resources to resolve (them),” the Russian minister added, referring to the role of mediator he has played. Sassou Nguesso in countries such as Libya or the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).
In this regard, Lavrov revealed the Congolese president’s intention to organize a “national reconciliation” conference this year with representation from all the parties involved in the Libyan crisis.
The Russian minister also thanked Brazzaville for “cooperation in international platforms” and stressed that “they have close and coincident positions on most issues discussed in the UN and other multilateral forums.”
The Republic of the Congo was one of the countries that abstained in the vote on a resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine finally approved by the United Nations General Assembly at the beginning of last March.
Likewise, Brazzaville voted in April against Moscow’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council, along with other African countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia or Zimbabwe, a position linked not only to Russian political and economic power on the continent but also to historical reasons, such as Soviet support for African anti-colonial movements in the 20th century.
“Brazzaville has consistently opposed discrimination at the United Nations and we reciprocate,” Lavrov stressed.
During the visit, both countries agreed to strengthen their economic and trade relationsas well as in the areas of “military and technical cooperation”, and Lavrov announced Russia’s support for opening an infectious disease research laboratory in the African country.
The minister reiterated, as the Russian government has already stated, that this Saturday’s attack against the Ukrainian port of Odessa is not an “obstacle” to the fulfillment of the agreement reached on Friday in Turkey to allow grain exports from the European country, whose blockade is especially affecting African nations.
On Sunday, during his visit to Cairo, Lavrov announced that a new Russian-African summit will be held in the middle of next year, the first edition of which took place in the Russian city of Sochi in 2019 and that the Russian President Vladimir Putin planned to celebrate this year.
EFE
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