MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax) - Russia intends to expand its diplomatic presence in Africa by opening diplomatic missions in Niger, Sierra Leona and South Sudan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"Steps to open Russian embassies in states of the continent match the aspiration that we share with African partners to bring our multifaceted interaction to a qualitatively new level," Zakharova said at a press briefing in Moscow on Thursday.
Russia's diplomatic missions in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea have been functioning since 2023, she said.
"Niger and Sierra Leona are next," Zakharova said, adding the she is "speaking about the resumption of the work which, unfortunately, was stopped in 1992, when it was done for financial reasons."
"There are also plans to establish a diplomatic mission in the Republic of South Sudan," she said.