OREANDA-NEWS Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko said the U.S. government had sent a letter to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa with a request not to conduct economic and military technical relations with Russia, she said after a meeting with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, TASS reported.

She stressed that the letter "firmly recommended not to develop ties with Russia," but the Zimbabwean head "sent an adequate response" saying that relations between Russia and Zimbabwe were long and mutually beneficial. For his part, Emmerson Mnangagwa noted that Russia and Zimbabwe have been linked by longstanding political relations. Matviyenko also added that Russia was ready to do everything to prevent world hunger and fulfill its food supply obligations.

The speaker of the Council of the Federation is on an official visit to Zimbabwe from June 1 to 3. During the visit it is planned to sign an interdepartmental memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of scientific, scientific-technical and innovation activities between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology Development of Zimbabwe.