Russia Pledges Development Assistance

(The Daily Monitor)—The Russian Federation is to provide development assistance amounting to over 500 million USD in Africa, one of the main priorities of the Russian foreign policy, the country’s ambassador said on Wednesday.

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Ethiopia M. Afanasiev made the announcement at the first session of the joint annual meeting of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

"Russia is firmly attached to the goals and principles of new partnership with Africa, actively participates in the complex assistance to the continent on bilateral basis and within existing international mechanisms, and particularly in "G8"," the ambassador said in a statement issued on the occasion.

The ambassador noted that activity of the ECA was one of the great interests to the Russian Federation which emphasizes the "Commission’s unique role as one of the most representative body for Africa and its mandate as the main economic and social development centre within the UN system." He said the Russian Federation believes that the main international objective was to help African countries achieve the UN-set Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"The Russian Federation supports all efforts made on the Africa continent, particularly within ECA to reach the MDGs, on the basis of global partnership, as outlined in Millennium Declaration Monterrey Consensus and outcome document of World Summit 2005," he said.

Russian contribution to the Debt Relief Initiative for heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) was the biggest among all donors in terms of its share in GDP, and in absolute value, the country is the third.

Russia has written off USD 16 billion of African debt and it plans to write off another half billion debt this year, according to the ambassador.

He said during its presidency in the G8, the Russian Federation initiated several measures of global nature aimed at strengthening the system of prevention of resistance to infectious diseases.

According to the ambassador, Russian has decided to make contribution of USD 20 million in 2008-2009 for realization the World /bank programme to combat malaria in Africa.

"We are sure that achievement of targets indicated in ECA Strategies Frameworks for 2010-2011 will contribute significantly to economic grows and prosperity of all African region, and will create necessary conditions for valuable integration of this region in international economic activity," the ambassador said.

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