Putin: Russia is ready to help Africa in fight against terrorism
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Armed Forces of African countries are not able to fight the terrorists alone and need substantial assistance, reports TASS.
According to Putin, Russia's cooperation with the African countries in the field of security is an essential component of bilateral relations. "Without solving these problems, they won't be able to move forward," said Russian President.
Putin noted that Russia will continue to expand contacts between intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal migration, and piracy.
Russian President also mentioned the unstable situation in many parts of Africa. Thus, terrorist groups are highly active in North Africa, Lake Chad area, and the Horn of Africa. Putin mentioned the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and al-Shabaab militant groups.
The Russia—Africa Summit will be held in Sochi on October 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will be the co-chairmen of the Summit. The Kremlin's press service reports that this will be the first event in the history of Russian-African relations, to which the heads of all African countries are invited.
In mid-August, the Pentagon reported that Russia is actively expanding its economic and diplomatic influence in Africa. Thus, Moscow's trade with the countries of the continent from 2009 to 2017 increased from $5.7 billion to $17.4 billion. The Pentagon also reported that Russian authorities are strengthening military ties with African countries through arms sales, security agreements, and military training programs.