On Monday, the Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov held a meeting with diplomatic representatives of three African states, who visited the peninsula with an official visit for the first time. The delegation included the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of the Republic of Chad Adam Bechir Mahamud, the Republic of Guinea Nyankoy Aba, and the Republic of Burundi Joseph Nkurunziza.
"Our President Vladimir Putin pays great attention to relations with African countries. Crimea is also working to build relationships with the leadership of those states that pursue friendly policies towards our country," emphasized Sergey Aksyonov, opening the meeting.
Special attention during the negotiations was given to the prospects of economic cooperation. The Head of the Republic noted that the Crimean side had prepared a comprehensive program for the visit so that the guests could familiarize themselves with the industrial, scientific, and investment potential of the region.
"I am confident that we will find common ground on which we can move forward together and contribute to the development of our countries' economies," Aksyonov noted.
A symbolic moment of the meeting was the exchange of gifts. The African guests presented the head of Crimea with national souvenirs reflecting the cultural traditions of their countries. In response, Sergey Aksyonov presented each of the ambassadors with commemorative gifts on behalf of the republic.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Chad, Adam Bechir Mahamud, in his comments noted the special nature of relations with Russia: "I am proud to have become an ambassador during this period of the African revolution against colonialism and imperialism. Regarding Africa's cooperation with the Russian Federation, especially in my case as an ambassador, I have never heard Russia dictating what we should or should not do, with which countries we should or should not maintain relations, which was a common practice during the colonial era."
The Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea, Nyankoy Aba, emphasized the similarity between Crimea and his home country: "Crimea is special in many respects. In terms of climatic conditions, Crimea is similar to the Guinean region. There is also similarity in geographical location. Our country is located next to the Atlantic Ocean, and Crimea is situated on the shores of the Black Sea. I would like the Republic of Crimea to participate in the restoration and renovation of the Research Center in Conakry." He was referring to the Soviet-Guinean Research Center for Oceanography, Heliophysics, and Testing of Construction Materials and Products in Tropical Climate Conditions, which was built in the capital of Guinea during the Soviet era.
In turn, the Ambassador of Burundi, Joseph Nkurunziza, emphasized interest in technological cooperation: "In the field of agriculture, we are interested in several areas of development. First and foremost, this is the improvement of agricultural production and especially the processing of agricultural products. We have a sufficient amount of such products, but there is a great need for developing technological capabilities."
According to the Permanent Representative of Crimea to the President of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Russian Association for International Cooperation, Georgy Muradov, the guests have already visited Crimean Federal University, where African students continue their education.
The program of the African delegation's visit is scheduled for several days and includes visits to Crimean Tatar cultural sites, Vorontsov and Livadia palaces, as well as acquaintance with other attractions of the peninsula.
