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The prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation and issues on the regional agenda were among the topics discussed.

A package of documents was signed following the talks, including intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and mass communications. The documents also concern the settlement of the Republic of the Congo’s debt to the Russian Federation under previously issued loans, cooperation between the Russian Interior Ministry and the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation, cooperation in agriculture, and sending Russian military experts to the Republic of the Congo. In addition, documents on the relations between LUKOIL and the State Oil Company of the Republic of the Congo as well as between TMK (Pipe Metallurgical Company) and the National Petroleum Company of the Congo were signed.

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Beginning of conversation with President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou-Nguesso

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President,

I am very glad to see you. It is not your first time in Russia. And it is not the first time we are meeting, so I am very glad to use this opportunity to continue our contacts.

Our countries have always had friendly relations; they have been developing this way for 55 years now. Our trade is growing – by over 60 percent – although, unfortunately, the numbers in absolute terms are still modest. But we have good potential in several industries, such as energy, the processing industry and agriculture. I am sure that we will be able to discuss all these issues during your visit. It will be quite busy; it is a working visit in the fullest sense of the word.

And, of course, we will be happy to see you at the first Russia-Africa summit in Sochi this October.

Welcome, Mr President.

President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou-Nguesso (retranslated): Thank you, Mr President!

I still remember how warmly I was welcomed here in November 2012. Thank you very much for sending me an invitation again. And thanks for the warm welcome I have been enjoying since I arrived. I am confident that our talks will be successful and will allow our relations to reach a new level.

You know that the Congo occupies a strategic position in Central Africa. And now, fortunately, we are seeing full conciliation in the region of Central Africa. At the same time, there are certain alarming signs in our region, in the centre and in the west of the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo], in the north of the CAR [Central African Republic] and Chad. In the west of Cameroon, Boko Haram is rampant. You know the situation in Gabon with Ali Bongo. And we are at the centre of all these events.

We preside over the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region. And we are playing a stabilising role in Africa that can bring peace to this region. We in our country want to stabilise the situation as a whole. And we hope that Russia will act side by side with us to create peace in the African region.

You know that in economic terms there was a certain crisis associated with a decrease in oil prices. This crisis affected us, but we are gradually recovering. Now we are negotiating with the IMF on obtaining loans, we are negotiating with the IMF Executive Board and hope to get support in this matter from our Russian friends.

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