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During a restricted format meeting, the President of Russia awarded the Order of Honour to Denis Sassou Nguesso for his contribution to the development and strengthening of ties between the Russian Federation and the Republic of the Congo.

Following that, the talks continued in the business breakfast format with the participation of the delegations.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends, I would like to welcome you to Moscow once again.

In this context, I would like to remind you that you visited our country back during the Soviet era. We have developed very warm and friendly relations with you at the interstate and personal levels.

You have made a significant personal contribution to the development of Russian-Congolese relations, attended two Russia-Africa summits and are doing a great deal to further develop our interaction in nearly all spheres. I am referring to the political sphere, and our trade and economic ties have recently been growing visibly.

We are grateful to you for our concerted efforts on the international stage.

Overall, we are doing well, and I am delighted to see you in Russia. Welcome.

President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso (retranslated): Mr President, friends,

First, I would like to thank you for our friendly and positive relations, which we are developing, and for the warm welcome we have received during this state visit. I would like to express gratitude to the Russian people for their hospitality during this visit.

Russia and Congo have indeed maintained friendly relations and solidarity for 60 years. This year, we will mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of friendship, solidarity and reliable cooperation between our countries.

I have visited your country as president more than once and several times as a civil servant. It is an honour for me to pay a state visit to Russia. A friend gifted me a collage of photographs and Pravda newspaper clips documenting these visits. I received this collage yesterday.

Mr President, we have arrived here to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of establishing relations between our countries, and to explore and discuss opportunities for elevating these relations to a new level, and to lay a foundation for the next 60 years of strong cooperation.

Your country maintains relations not only with the Republic of the Congo but with many African countries. Thanks to this, African people have experienced a period of growth and gained power in their fight against colonisation and for liberation. African people are grateful to you for that.

We can also say that this fight continues in various forms. It continues because African peoples are still struggling for effective development.

Mr President, friends.

We are grateful for your support. Our visit is taking place in a complicated international context, during a period when your country and your nation are standing courageously against the sanctions unlawfully imposed on your state as a result of the Ukrainian conflict – but also as a result of other conflicts.

I would like to thank the Russian people and praise them for their tenacity and courage. It is in the most challenging times that we must strengthen and promote our links. I have arrived here guided by this exact logic.

We would like to have talks with your country’s leadership, to strengthen cooperation across all fields, including the economy, finance, defence and security. Of course, we are currently living in a complicated world, which is also true with respect to security.

Vladimir Putin: Mr President.

You mentioned that our meeting is taking place during a year when we mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. As I said in the beginning, you have done a great deal to promote such positive development in our relations.

We have decided to present you with a state decoration of the Russian Federation. Allow me to fulfil this honourable mission.

(The President presents the award.)

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