Russia Pledges to Revive Relations With Africa

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 20, 2001

Russia Pledges to Revive Relations With Africa

Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov has pledged to revive bilateral relations between his country and Tanzania as well as other African states.

He made the promise Tuesday night during a two-hour stopover visit in Dar es Salaam as part of his first official tour of African countries, diplomats in Dar es Salaam said Wednesday.

Ivanov told the Tanzanian leaders that his country was stronglycommitted to re-establishing and strengthening bilateral relationswith Tanzania and other African countries.

During their brief stay in Dar es Salaam, Ivanov and his delegation paid a courtesy call to Tanzanian Prime Minister Fredrick Sumaye at his residence. "My visit in Tanzania is within the framework of promoting and strengthening our relations," he told Sumaye.

The minister said that during the 1990s Russia did not have good relations with African countries due to some internal problems that had faced his country, such as the collapse of the USSR, coupled with the world political and economic reforms.

"But today, our house (country) has become stable both economically and politically ... that's why we are ready to re-establish and intensify our relations with African countries," Ivanov said.

Sumaye said Tanzania welcomed a partial debt relief that it had received from Russia, hoping talks for total debt cancellation would successfully be concluded soon.

The premier also said he would like to see closer interaction between the private sectors of the two countries and welcomed Russian businessmen to invest in tourism, mining, agriculture and manufacturing.

Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Jakaya Kikwete said: "Tanzania is satisfied with the current efforts by Russia aimed at re-establishing and strengthening relations with African countries ... we promise to provide full cooperation to such endeavors."

Before his arrival here, the Russian minister had visited Angola, Namibia and South Africa.

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