Cairo, December 20 (QNA) - The second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum commenced in Cairo today.

The conference was held with the participation of more than 50 African countries at the ministerial level, in addition to representatives of several heads of regional and continental organizations. It was co-chaired by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, and Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, the current chair of the African Union.

During the conference's opening session, Abdelatty, speaking on behalf of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, stated that the conference represents the culmination of the ongoing development in African-Russian relations and builds upon the momentum of the previous two summits in Sochi in 2019 and St. Petersburg in 2023. He described it as a practical step towards implementing the Partnership Forum Action Plan 2023-2026.

He added that the conference also provides an opportunity to launch a constructive dialogue on drafting the next Action Plan for the period 2026-2029, which will be adopted at the third African-Russian Summit. This plan aims to serve the common interests of the peoples of Africa and achieve security, development, and stability on the African continent.

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that African countries possess enormous economic and human potential and are playing an increasingly important role in global politics. He affirmed Russia's commitment to continuing to unlock the vast potential for cooperation with African nations. (QNA)