CAR Awaiting Russian Investment In Agriculture, Energy Sectors - Russian Ambassador

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2023) The Central African Republic (CAR) needs investments in the agriculture, energy, and mining sectors, while Russia is interested in such a partnership, Russian Ambassador to car Alexander Bikantov told Sputnik.

"The head of the CAR National Assembly (the lower house of the parliament), Simplice Sarandji, and other representatives of the country have repeatedly stated that the CAR needs foreign investments, including Russian ones. Large domestic economic operators in the fields of agriculture, energy, mining and transport are awaited here," Bikantov said.

The diplomat added that Russia was also interested in partnership, but "the philosophy of long-term investments requires taking into account a wide range of factors."

"Central African economists themselves believe that at present it is objectively difficult to implement any ideas due to a complex of unfair sanctions and restrictions imposed on our country by the collective West. We are talking about difficulties with interbank settlements, cross-border logistics and many other problems, familiar to economists," the ambassador said.

Nevertheless, Russia is constantly making efforts to explore opportunities for cooperation, ensuring the participation of Central African officials and business community representatives at Russian economic events, Bikantov added.

"An important area of cooperation is supporting the CAR in overcoming the humanitarian crisis. Thus, in August 2022 ... 540 tonnes of yellow peas were delivered to Bangui as part of Russia's annual contributions to the UN World food Program. Now a supply of rice is also expected," the diplomat said.

In October 2022, the head of the CAR parliament's lower house said that Moscow and Bangui needed to develop economic cooperation, as the republic lacked investments in the productive sector of the economy and was prepared to cooperate with Russia in the export of resources and in agriculture.

In June, CAR Prime Minister Felix Moloua told Sputnik that Bangui was discussing energy, technology and transport cooperation with Moscow.