TASS Director General to head media coverage task force on Russian-African cooperation

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. A working group under the leadership of TASS Director General Sergei Mikhailov will establish a strategy for media coverage of Russian-African cooperation, head of the secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Oleg Ozerov said on Wednesday. "TASS Director General Sergei Vladimirovich Mikhailov will be appointed head of the working group on media coverage. Under his leadership, the working group will develop a strategy for media coverage of the work on the development and expansion of ties with the African continent," he said. According to Ozerov, the working group has been formed to achieve "maximum efficiency of the secretariat’s work." Besides, coordination, public and research councils will be established with the same aim. Those structures will deal with developing "conceptual offers on substantive content for the speedy development of economic, science-technical, humanitarian and other types of cooperation between Russia and the African states." "In the near future, TASS will work on expanding its network and opening new bureaus in Africa," the secretariat’s head informed. In this regard, he informed of the plans to organize photo exhibitions, conferences and press tours of Russian journalists to Africa. He stated that the main goal of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the secretariat is to develop the positive impetus given to the Russian-African relations during the Sochi summit. "This is a matter of honor for all of us to make sure that the second summit is better," he added. "We all need to develop a roadmap working up to the next summit and its concept, to offer an action program for the next cycle to its participants," Ozerov pointed out. He added that the work of the secretariat would be coordinated by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian presidential administration and Roscongress structures. An instrument for development Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in his address that important mechanisms for dialogue and partnership had been created during the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi, including the secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. The senior diplomat pointed out that the secretariat focuses on the issues of development and strengthening the ties between Russian and African business community. "The Association of Economic Cooperation with African States, which was formed in April of this year, will facilitate the work of the secretariat to a significant extent. It will include the leading companies of Russia and Africa. Therefore, the secretariat must become an effective instrument of strengthening and developing Russian-African relations further," he said. During the meeting, a partner agreement between the Association of Economic Cooperation with African States and Roscongress has been signed. New values For his part, head of the Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Yevgeny Primakov pointed out that the dialogue between Moscow and the African states "is not about charity, it’s about joint development." He added that many Russian companies that wish to enter the African market are ready to invest in the humanitarian sphere as well. Primakov also noted that Rossotrudnichestvo continues to promote education programs in Africa, working on expanding the quotas for African students at Russian universities. According to him, Russia could develop this format by establishing a grant system for African students. "I am calling on Russian companies to join this initiative as well," head of Rossotrudnichestvo said. "The public interest in the development of Africa is huge. We would like our relations to be based not only on the nostalgic memories of our shared past, of the liberation of African states, but on new values as well: protection and reinforcement of the African states’ sovereignty, the idea of maintaining and strengthening peace, good neighborliness and cooperation with Russia," he concluded. Read more