President Salva Kiir is expected to visit Russia in the next few weeks for a bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has said.
The planned visit was revealed after a meeting between Deng Dau Deng, South Sudan acting minister of foreign affairs, and Vladlen Semivolos, the non-resident ambassador of Russian Federation to South Sudan.
“Acting minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation met with the head of mission of the Russian Federation to South Sudan, H.E. Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos, in preparation for President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s visit to Moscow in September for bilateral talks with his counterparts,” a statement from the ministry reads.
Denis Dumo Scopas, spokesperson of the ministry, says Ambassador Vladlen also met with a number of South Sudanese government representatives to discuss the possibilities of bilateral collaboration in many other fields in the two countries.
“The visit of H.E. the Ambassador is very important to prepare the state visit of his Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit to the Russian Federation next month,” Dumo confirmed the visit.
In July, Vice President Taban Deng Gai attended the second Russia–Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, where the summit came up with various resolutions on security, trade development, and technology advancement in Africa
Earlier this month, South Sudan Council of Ministers approved the resolutions, including boosting bilateral ties with Russia.
In 2016, Russia and South Sudan also signed the Intergovernmental Agreement on Military Technical Cooperation, which is still effective.
Both have agreed to use this sphere of cooperation in order to strengthen security and military capability of South Sudan, only after the United Nations Security Council lifts finally its restrictions on weapons trade with that country.
