The discussion focused on the further development of bilateral cooperation in policy, trade, the economy, and the cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as current international issues.
Taking part in the talks on the Russian side were: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office – Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, Aide to the President Yury Ushakov, Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Energy Sergei Tsivilev, Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev, Deputy Defence Minister Vasily Osmakov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces – Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov and Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Andrei Averyanov.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends,
I am delighted to welcome you to Moscow, Russia. Mr President, you are always a welcome guest in our country. Quite recently, just three months ago, we celebrated the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries.
Allow me once again to personally congratulate you on the election results. We sincerely wish you success. The fact that citizens voted for you and that you achieved a convincing victory shows that, overall, people support the policies you are pursuing, both in strengthening the domestic political situation and security, and in addressing economic issues.
As for the economy, we are currently considering what I believe is a very timely decision: the establishment of an intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation. I believe we have good prospects in this area, particularly in energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. We have plenty to discuss today, in this expanded format, and later we will be able to continue discussing all these issues privately during our working lunch.
I understand that during this working visit you travelled not only to Moscow but also to St Petersburg. I hope you will share your impressions of my hometown.
Welcome, Mr President.
Welcome, friends.
President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera (retranslated): Thank you very much, Mr President.
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you, to your Government, and to the people of the Russian Federation for the warm welcome extended to me and my delegation. I also wish to thank you for the opportunity to hold this meeting.
On behalf of my Government and the people of the Central African Republic, I would like to convey our deep appreciation for the support you and your Government are providing during this challenging period – a decisive moment for the future of the Central African Republic.
In this regard, you mentioned the elections recently held in our country, encompassing four different types of elections. Thank you for your congratulations. We did indeed conduct these elections, and Russia made a significant contribution to making them possible by helping to ensure security. Russian agencies operating on our territory assisted in creating a safe and stable environment for the electoral process, allowing it to proceed smoothly. As a result, the people of the Central African Republic were able to exercise their right to choose their President.
I have begun a new seven-year term, and I am committed to further strengthening our cooperation, particularly in the field of security, but also in the areas you mentioned, including the economy, education, cultural and humanitarian matters, and other spheres.
Allow me to once again express my sincere gratitude for your continued and significant support, especially with regard to grain supplies, which help ensure that our population has adequate access to flour. We deeply appreciate this assistance.
We are also cooperating in the hydrocarbon sector, where we are currently facing a challenging situation. Your support has helped us address the difficulties in this area, which is vital both for the economy and for the country as a whole. During today’s discussions, we will also consider the issue of establishing stable and sustainable supply chains.
During our upcoming discussions, we will focus on a range of economic matters, with particular attention to the energy sector, the financial challenges we are facing, and the difficulties affecting our financial system – issues that can be overcome. We will also address broader challenges within the energy sector, as the Central African Republic is currently experiencing a significant energy deficit. The Russian Federation possesses substantial expertise in this field.
I think we will consider these matters alongside other important areas, including cultural cooperation. Revitalising the agricultural sector is also a priority, as it will play a key role in strengthening our national economy.
Vladimir Putin: Mr President, you have mentioned the humanitarian sphere. In this area as well, we have strong foundations and promising opportunities. It should be noted that many issues in this sphere are being addressed on an ongoing basis.
First of all, I would like to express my appreciation for your efforts to promote and popularise the Russian language in your country. We are aware that the Russian Language Centre and the Russian-language education centre are operating successfully there. In this regard, I would like to thank you and also inform you that we have decided to increase the quota for students from your country. We sincerely hope that this cooperation will continue and expand into other areas of humanitarian cooperation as well.
There is also another important area of cooperation – our coordination of positions with the Central African Republic on the global stage. Our respective ministries and agencies are actively working in this direction and remain in constant contact. I am confident that this cooperation will continue. We will discuss this further today, especially given the rather turbulent situation developing in the world.
Thank you.
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