Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Russia aims to enhance its diplomatic presence in Africa by opening new embassies or expanding the staff in existing missions, RIA Novosti reported on Saturday.
Zakharova stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has set the goal of increasing diplomatic representation on the continent to ensure a stronger engagement.
She emphasized that the process is already in progress, but refrained from providing specific details about the locations and timing of the new embassy openings. "We will definitely inform where and when our embassies will start working, as soon as the relevant agreements are reached and final decisions are made," she was quoted as saying.