OREANDA-NEWS. Russian President Vladimir Putin expects that African business representatives will bring to the summit in Sochi on October 24 a substantial package of proposals to expand cooperation between the Russian Federation and the countries of the continent. The head of state said this in an interview that he gave to the Russian media on the eve of the Russia-Africa summit.

“We expect that our African colleagues, representatives of the business community, will bring a substantial package of proposals to expand bilateral relations in Sochi”, he said. “And the leaders of African regional organizations will share ideas on how we can develop multilateral cooperation together”. "We will consider these ideas with interest, think about what can be implemented now, and what will require additional study", Putin added.

According to him, Russia also has plans to further build ties with Africa. “We aim to discuss relevant ideas with partners, systematize them and record them in the most concrete form in the final declaration”, the president said. “In addition, it's important to determine the mechanisms for implementing the agreements that will be reached at the summit in Sochi”. “I’m sure that the summit will be successful, because there are all the necessary prerequisites for this”, the Russian leader emphasized.