Russian-Central African talks

The discussion focused on the further development of bilateral cooperation in policy, trade, the economy, and the cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as current international issues.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends,

I am delighted to welcome you to Moscow, Russia. Mr President, you are always a welcome guest in our country. Quite recently, just three months ago, we celebrated the 65^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries.

Allow me once again to personally congratulate you on the election results. We sincerely wish you success. The fact that citizens voted for you and that you achieved a convincing victory shows that, overall, people support the policies you are pursuing, both in strengthening the domestic political situation and security, and in addressing economic issues.

As for the economy, we are currently considering what I believe is a very timely decision: the establishment of an intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation. I believe we have good prospects in this area, particularly in energy, agriculture, and infrastructure. We have plenty to discuss today, in this expanded format, and later we will be able to continue discussing all these issues privately during our working lunch.

I understand that during this working visit you travelled not only to Moscow but also to St Petersburg. I hope you will share your impressions of my hometown.

Welcome, Mr President.

Welcome, friends.

To be continued.