Russia Moves to Deepen Ties With Guinea‑Bissau

Overview

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Guinea‑Bissau Foreign Minister Fatumata Djau in Moscow on Thursday to launch talks on closer cooperation.
• Both ministers publicly committed to expand political, trade, economic and humanitarian links and to explore concrete projects in energy, mineral mining and processing, and agriculture.
• They stressed coordination in multilateral forums and said African leaders should take primary responsibility for resolving regional conflicts with international support.
• Lavrov framed the outreach in historical terms, recalling Soviet assistance during Guinea‑Bissau’s independence struggle and noting Djau’s prior visits and experience assessing cooperation prospects.
• The talks are explicitly tied to preparations for the Third Russia–Africa Summit in Moscow this October, where officials may seek formal agreements or next steps on projects and aid.