Kathrine Frich
As Russia’s confrontation with the West continues, the Kremlin is seeking to strengthen ties beyond its traditional partners.
Moscow has increasingly turned to countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America in an effort to expand diplomatic and military cooperation.
On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin welcomed Madagascar’s interim leader to the Kremlin for talks expected to cover defense and economic collaboration.
Talks in Moscow
Putin met Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who is serving as Madagascar’s transitional president, during an official visit to Russia.
According to the Kremlin press service, the two leaders are set to discuss cooperation across multiple sectors, as well as current international and regional issues.
The meeting underscores Russia’s push to deepen relations with African nations at a time when it faces sanctions and political isolation from Western governments.
High-level delegation
The Russian side was represented by several senior officials, signaling the importance Moscow places on the talks.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Defense Minister Andrey Belousov were present.
Also attending were Maxim Oreshkin, deputy head of the presidential administration, and Dmitry Shugayev, director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.
The inclusion of military-technical officials suggests that defense ties could feature prominently in the discussions.
Expanding influence
Russia has sought to broaden its footprint in Africa through energy projects, trade agreements and security partnerships.
While no specific agreements were immediately announced, the Kremlin indicated that bilateral cooperation and global issues would be central to the talks.
Sources: TASS, Kremlin press service
