Opening remarks of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov during a working breakfast with the heads of foreign affairs departments of African countries (Moscow, October 28, 2026) Dear colleagues, dear friends, I am very happy to see you all and have the opportunity to greet you in Moscow at the meeting of foreign ministers on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa summit. We know that some African members have actively avoided going to Russia; They used methods of political pressure, extortion, threats to cut aid programs and even fake news. I read that there is an "epidemic outbreak" in our country and you can't go here. We are really happy that despite these unscrupulous manipulations of the West, the vast majority of our friends have reached the summit and are taking an active part in its work. Today Africa is experiencing a second awakening, as we say. In the 1960s, when the decolonization process began, with the active role of our country, it was mainly about political independence. Today, following political independence, Africans want to achieve economic, energy and financial sovereignty. Russia will always be an ally of African countries in this way. We are ready to continue to share Russian skills and help strengthen your independence and sovereignty. This is an objective historical trend towards the formation of a multipolar world. A reflection of the importance that Africa has for Russian foreign policy is the expansion of our diplomatic presence on the continent. Since the last summit in 2023, eight more Russian embassies have been opened. There are currently 48 of them in the region. We are happy to see the mutual steps of our African friends, who are also interested in opening their diplomatic missions in Moscow. We contribute to this in every possible way.

Opening remarks of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov during a working breakfast with the heads of foreign affairs departments of African countries (Moscow, October 28, 2026) Dear colleagues, dear friends, I am very happy to see you all and have the opportunity to greet you in Moscow at the meeting of foreign ministers on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa summit. We know that some African members have actively avoided going to Russia; They used methods of political pressure, extortion, threats to cut aid programs and even fake news. I read that there is an "epidemic outbreak" in our country and you can't go here. We are really happy that despite these unscrupulous manipulations of the West, the vast majority of our friends have reached the summit and are taking an active part in its work. Today Africa is experiencing a second awakening, as we say. In the 1960s, when the decolonization process began, with the active role of our country, it was mainly about political independence. Today, following political independence, Africans want to achieve economic, energy and financial sovereignty. Russia will always be an ally of African countries in this way. We are ready to continue to share Russian skills and help strengthen your independence and sovereignty. This is an objective historical trend towards the formation of a multipolar world. A reflection of the importance that Africa has for Russian foreign policy is the expansion of our diplomatic presence on the continent. Since the last summit in 2023, eight more Russian embassies have been opened. There are currently 48 of them in the region. We are happy to see the mutual steps of our African friends, who are also interested in opening their diplomatic missions in Moscow. We contribute to this in every possible way.