To Heads of State and Government of African Countries,
Please, accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of Africa Day.

That remarkable date related to the founding of the Organization of African Union in 1963 symbolizes the common quest of the peoples of the region for sustainable development and lasting peace and security.

Russia maintains close and traditionally friendly political, economic and humanitarian relations with African states. Tens of thousands of Africans graduated from Russian educational institutions.

Hundreds of Russian professionals – physicians, construction engineers, geologists – worked and continue to work in various countries of your vast continent.

In recent years, the Russian-African interaction has regained its momentum.

Our political dialogue has also intensified. Systematic efforts are undertaken to promote our mutually beneficial business and humanitarian cooperation. I am confident that, together, we will manage to make a fuller use of the opportunities available in that area.

In the past fifty years Africa significantly increased its role in world affairs. Your countries actively participate in solving the most pressing problems of the modern world, in establishing a just world order based on the respect for human rights, and in peaceful settlement of international disputes.

We commend the drive for strengthening the multidimensional integration within the framework of the African Union and subregional organizations.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia will continue to support efforts to establish foundations of collective security in the region, including efforts to create its indigenous peacekeeping potential.

In that connection, we significantly increased our assistance to African states in the area of training their national peacekeeping personnel. At the same time, Russia is involved in all UN operations in Africa. The current global financial crisis has seriously affected developing countries.

Russia has been consistently in favor of providing a more effective assistance to Africa. We will continue to be involved in the relevant efforts undertaken in the framework of the United Nations, G8 and G20.

With our direct participation, the G20, at its summit in London, decided to significantly increase assistance to the poorest countries of the world most of which are in Africa. And we will do our best to facilitate the implementation of that decision.

I wish the leaders and peoples of African states lasting peace and well being.

D.Medvedev