Representatives of African countries at the Russia-Africa forum in Moscow on October 26 noted the preparedness and fighting spirit of the Russian military.
“We have seen some demonstrations by the Russian army and what they do every day in connection with military service. It was quite impressive to see how they perform this service with such dedication,” said journalist Maria Batista Mbina Moussavou.
SNS journalist Cheikh Modou Mamoune Tine stated that it is important to establish cooperation between those structures of Russia and African countries that “determine the future of the world.” He also thanked Russia for its significant contribution to the well-being of the continent, especially for stabilizing the situation in Mali.
Representatives of African countries expressed interest in the history and national symbols of Russia. Armindo Lareano, director of Novo Jornal, said that the hat with the inscription “USSR” was a gift from his friend. According to him, he heard many stories about Russia, Yuri Gagarin and the national football team of the Soviet Union during school.
The African delegates thanked Russia for its significant contribution to the well-being of the continent and noted the high level of organization of the summit, which is one of the largest events in Russian-African relations.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on October 21 that most African delegations had confirmed their participation in the upcoming Russia–Africa summit. She added that Moscow had reached the final stage of preparing the event, with invitations sent to leaders of all African states and representatives of regional integration associations. Organizational work was being conducted jointly with African partners.
