Russia, formerly Russian Federation is planning to open diplomatic missions in four African countries, increasing its presence and influence in the region.
Russia’s foreign minister and longest serving minister a world ever seen, Sergey Lavrov disclosed this at a meeting with foreign diplomats on the occasion of Africa Day, 2025.
According to Lavrov, Moscow ia now actively working to expands its diplomatic presence in Africa.
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“We are now preparing to open full diplomatic missions in Sierra Leone, Niger and the Republic of South Sudan,” said the Moscow’s top diplomat.
However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also serves as special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, told Russian News Agency ‘TASS’ in an interview following the First Ministerial Conference Russia-Africa that his country is planning to open another embassy in Equatorial Guinea.
In April, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Moscow was studying and working out the possibilities of opening diplomatic missions in Sierra Leone, Niger and South Sudan in the future.
The minister said his ministry has made decisions and agreed with the authorities of the host countries to open embassies in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea and general consulates in a number of Asian and African countries.
Report say the mission in Burkina Faso was already open and start operation in December, 2023.