Top Russian diplomat arrives for 1st-ever visit to Chad

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived on Wednesday for his first-ever visit to the Central African country of Chad.

Lavrov's plane landed in Chad's capital N'Djamena, where he plans to hold a series of meetings, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Chad will be the fourth and final stop on his African tour, following Guinea, the Republic of Congo, and Burkina Faso.

Russia had very close cooperation with Chad during the Soviet era, and in recent years, the cooperation started to revive. In December 2021, Chad's foreign minister visited Moscow, and last July, a delegation from the country took part in the second Russia-Africa summit and economic forum in St. Petersburg.

On Jan. 24, Chad's President Mahamat Debi Itno visited Moscow, and during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he called his visit "historic."