Trutnev conveys Putin's congratulations on Africa Day to Namibian president
WINDHOEK. May 24 (Interfax) - Yury Trutnev, Russian deputy prime minister and presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, who is paying a working visit to Namibia, has conveyed Russian President Vladimir Putin's congratulations on Africa Day to Namibian President Hage Geingob, an Interfax correspondent reported.
Africa Day (formerly African Liberation Day) is celebrated at the UN's decision on May 25.
"I would like to congratulate you on the upcoming African Liberation Day and would like to convey the Russian president's congratulations on the occasion. Russia values relations that have established between our countries," Trutnev said.
"We are especially grateful for support to our stance and initiatives in the foreign policy," he said.
"We would like progress in our economic relations to as well. The situation is not so optimistic in this area so far," he said.
Trutnev, the co-chair of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation has discussed issues of Russian-Namibian cooperation in the sectors of nuclear and solar powers, diamond mining, mechanical engineering, aircraft industry, and agriculture with his Namibian counterpart in the commission, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Relations and Cooperation Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
"Goods turnover between our countries is quite small and is developing rather unsteady. It had increased in 2015 in comparison with 2014, but it decreased more than twofold, to $24 million, in 2016. These figures are very small for our countries, "Trutnev said.
"Certainly, we have directions of cooperation that are developing actively. Those are cooperation in education: we're gradually increasing the quota [for Namibian students]. Military-technical cooperation is developing well. Sukhoi Superjet was presented recently in Namibia and we are negotiating cooperation. We would like to ask you to support these projects," Trutnev told the Namibian president.
