Russia will also allocate another $90 million for development on the continent, the president says
The Russian government has written off over $20 billion of debt historically owed by African nations, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, speaking at a plenary session of the Russia-Africa forum in St. Petersburg.
He said Moscow would also allocate more funds to help with the development of the continent.
“The total amount of debt of the African countries written off by Russia amounts to $23 billion dollars with another $90 million to be allocated for the same purposes,” Putin stated, with reference to historical trade and finance links between Moscow and New Delhi.
On Thursday, the president said Russia would provide hard-pressed countries on the continent with free grain. Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somali, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea will each receive between 25,000 and 50,000 tons of grain, while Moscow will cover the…