MOSCOW. April 9 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Angolan counterpart Georges Chikoti discussed Ukraine, and the situation in Africa and Middle East during a meeting on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"When considering the situation in Ukraine, Lavrov thanked Angola for understanding Russia's principled stance," the Russian Foreign Ministry posted a statement on Tuesday.
On March 27 the UN General Assembly passed by a majority vote resolution supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine proposed by Kyiv. Representatives of 100 out of 193 UN General Assembly members voted for it and 58 abstained. Eleven countries - Russia, Zimbabwe, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, China, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela - voted against the document. Angola was among the states that abstained.
During the talks between Lavrov and Chikoti serious attention has been paid to the situation on the African continent and Middle East, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "The Russian party has confirmed a line for active assistance in resolving regional conflicts and crisis situations and resolving social and economic problems of Africa," the statement said.
The parties have expressed mutual satisfaction with the dynamic in diverse Russian-Angolan cooperation, the document said. The two countries have emphasized interest in enhancing mutually beneficial partnerships in developing Angola's resources, in particular hydrocarbons, and in energy, communications, fishing, transport, education and other sectors, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The ministers have also expressed support for expanding the contractual legal framework of relations and more active practical use of agreements already existing. Lavrov and Chikoti have signed a memorandum on mutual understanding between the Russian and Angolan Foreign Ministries on political consultations," the document said.