Russia Calls On Partners In Africa To Demand West To Lift Anti-Russian Sanctions - Lavrov

Moscow is calling on its African partners to demand that the West lifts anti-Russian sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2022) Moscow is calling on its African partners to demand that the West lifts anti-Russian sanctions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

He stressed that Russia would continue to faithfully fulfill its contractual obligations to supply food, fertilizers and energy to the countries of the continent.

"We call on our friends, the African Union, to demand, persistently demand from the West the lifting of illegal unilateral sanctions that undermine the transport and logistics infrastructure necessary for world trade, which creates risks primarily for vulnerable segments of the population," Lavrov said, speaking at a reception on the occasion of Africa Day.

"The voice of Africa must be heard. A more principled position on this issue should be taken by the UN Secretary General," the minister noted.

Russia and Africa need to create joint financial mechanisms protected from Western pressure, Lavrov said.

African countries take a balanced and objective position on the situation in Ukraine, despite Washington's discriminatory pressure, the minister said.

"I note with satisfaction that African countries take a balanced and objective position regarding what is happening in Ukraine and around it. We know that the unceremonious line of behavior of Western countries sometimes provokes open rejection on the African continent," the minister said.

He also expressed confidence that "African friends will not succumb to Washington's discriminatory pressure."

Russia highly appreciates the readiness of African countries to further expand the political dialogue with Russia, build up economic, humanitarian and other interaction, Lavrov said.