Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, African Integration and Guineans abroad of the Republic of Guinea, Morrisanda Kouyate, Conakry, June 3, 2024

Dear friend,

You mentioned the origins of our friendly relations and support for justice in the international arena. Indeed, we recognised Guinea almost instantly after the people were freed from colonial oppression. Your country was at the forefront of the decolonisation process and among the first to break free from oppression. We appreciate the fact that Guinea participated in both Russia-Africa summits, and you led your delegation to St Petersburg during the summit held in 2023.

I hope I will have the opportunity today to convey to President of the Republic of Guinea Mamady Doumbouya President Vladimir Putin’s gratitude for the warm congratulatory message that your leader sent to our President on the occasion of his re-election.

Our respective parliaments enjoy good and close contacts. The Chairman of the National Council of the Transition, Dansa Kourouma, took part in a meeting of Russia-Africa parliamentarians in Moscow in March 2023.

A little later we will discuss our cooperation in the international arena, including the UN. You are absolutely right that growth in the modern era rides on economic and investment ties. Our companies operating in Guinea benefit from the beneficial conditions provided by your government. We believe that this mutually beneficial cooperation will continue.

We have decent mutual trade numbers, although there was a decline in 2023. However, we see good prospects in geological prospecting, the development of mineral resources, infrastructure, fisheries, agriculture and energy. Our companies invariably focus on the social aspects of their work and remain socially responsible.

For example, Rusal has made the largest Russian investment in Guinea. Along with epoxide mining and providing employment to thousands of Guinean citizens, Rusal is implementing a major social programme. As recently as 10 years ago, in 2014, Rusal made a significant contribution to improving Guinea's ability to fight Ebola. In the recent past, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, similar steps were taken to build your own capabilities to prevent infectious diseases.

Our other companies are also operational in your country. We can discuss this in more detail later. I would just like to emphasise that we look forward to resuming as soon as possible the work of the Russian-Guinean Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Trade Cooperation, which has not met since 2019.

You have recently appointed your co-chair. There are no obstacles left. We need to agree on the dates. I hope to discuss all of that in detail with you, as well as to review our relations, and coordination of our actions in the international arena, primarily in the UN, in relations between Russia and Africa. I hope we will be able to report the results of our talks to President Doumbouya today and obtain his approval.