OREANDA-NEWS. April 6, 2011. A delegation led by Paul Toungui, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophony of the Gabonese Republic, stayed on a working visit to the Russian Federation from April 4-6.

On April 5 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, held talks with his counterpart from Gabon. A thorough exchange of views took place on a broad range of pressing international and regional issues, including the situation in the trouble spots on the African continent, primarily in Cote d’Ivoire. The Ministers also examined the crisis situation in North Africa, in particular, in Libya. The Russian side confirmed its line on active assistance to the solution of the socioeconomic problems of Africa and to the settlement of conflicts on the continent.

As part of the actualization of the legal framework, Lavrov and Toungui signed on behalf of the governments of Russia and Gabon an Agreement on the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports.

In examining prospects for bilateral ties, special attention was devoted to determining the ways and means of fostering economic and trade cooperation and making fuller use of the existing potential. The sides designated as the most promising areas of cooperation the fuel and energy sector and the mining industry and agreed on measures to intensify direct business contacts and to encourage participation of Russian economic entities in projects on the territory of Gabon.

The visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophony of the Gabonese Republic to Moscow, which has confirmed the similarity of the two sides’ positions on the questions discussed and strengthened a reciprocal desire to expand cooperation in different areas, has marked an important event in the development of Russian relations with that African country and a new step forward in the intensification of fruitful interaction with the states of the African continent as a whole.