Speaking at the VTB RUSSIA CALLING! Investment Forum in Moscow, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, noted that he believes there is a spiritual connection between Russia and Africa.
Russia’s president has spoken of a spiritual bond between his country and the continent of Africa, owing to their shared idea of sovereignty.
“Africa may geographically seem like a rather distant continent, but it is spiritually close to us,” the Russian head of state relayed.
“They value their sovereignty and, relying on it, make decisions in the interests of their peoples and countries, and we believe they will continue to do so,” he added, noting that the continent is filled with brave people who value freedom as much as Russia.
Additionally, the Russian president spoke highly of Africa’s friendship, noting that the continent has become a very valuable partner.
“Africa is a reliable partner. We have a lot of connections with the peoples of Africa,” the president said.
The Russian leader then went on to underline Africa’s enormous potential for rapid development, which he said both global and Western experts concur with.
“The African continent has very good development prospects… The prospects are very good. By the way, these are not just our evaluations, these are evaluations from the global expert community, including Western experts.
Many of my friends from Germany and other countries say that they, too, want and plan to increase their activity on the African continent,” Putin said.
The president, as reported by Sputnik, indicated that Russia plans to focus on areas of growth and partnerships that don’t react to “shouts” from external parties.
Citing the East African country of Ethiopia, Vladimir Putin stated, that some economies on the continent are developing at quite unusual rates.
He estimated that in the last decade, growth was as high as 120%.
The World Trade Center in Russia’s capital city, Moscow, hosted the 2-day event of the 15th VTB Investment Forum “Russia Calling!” from December 4th to the 5th.
The central topic of the work is “The Future of Capital and the Capital of the Future.”
Established in 2009, this event attracts a distinguished group of government officials, business executives, and investors yearly.
According to the event’s official site, the forum is traditionally used to discuss major macroeconomic trends, develop and strengthen Russia’s financial sovereignty, and explore new collaboration opportunities with cooperating nations.
Business Insider
