MOSCOW, Feb. 13 (TASS) – Moscow is working to open diplomatic missions in several more African countries, Vsevolod Tkachenko, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Africa Department, said in an interview with TASS.

"Our embassy in Burkina Faso opened just before the new year, and Russia’s diplomatic mission in Equatorial Guinea will begin operations very soon. Several more missions are on the way; we will announce where they will be set up as soon as the work is done," the diplomat said.

Moscow is in talks with African countries to launch flights to new destinations, added Tkachenko.

"The goal stems from the decisions made at the Russia-Africa summits and work is underway, which is certainly taking into account economic and logistics difficulties," the diplomat said, when asked about the prospects for expanding flights between Russia and Africa.

Tkachenko noted that until recently, Russian airlines had not operated regular flights to sub-Saharan African countries. He specified that Russia’s national air carrier Aeroflot had resumed flights to the Seychelles in September 2022 and to Mauritius in December 2023. "Talks are underway on more destinations," Tkachenko added.

Oleg Ozerov, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large and head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, told TASS last September that Russian tourists would be able to take direct flights to several African countries in the near future.

According to him, the Russian leadership handed down instructions to enhance Moscow’s diplomatic presence on the African continent after the Russia-Africa Summit that took place in St. Petersburg last summer.