Russia Praises Uganda’s Peacekeeping Role, Backs BRICS Bid

(Moscow) – Russia has expressed its support for Uganda as a partner nation in the BRICS bloc, highlighting the country’s “well-balanced and constructive” approach to international relations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made these remarks during a meeting with Ugandan Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo on Saturday, held on the sidelines of the first Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.

Lavrov praised Uganda’s contributions to peacekeeping efforts under the African Union, particularly in conflict zones such as Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Great Lakes region. “We respect Uganda’s active role in international peacekeeping and its diplomatic contributions,” Lavrov stated. He went on to explain that Russia had supported Uganda’s candidacy for BRICS partnership during the October BRICS Summit when the bloc discussed extending invitations to new partners.

The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) is a major intergovernmental organization formed in 2006, and this year, Russia assumed the rotating presidency of the bloc. With its new leadership, the BRICS group has expanded its membership, now including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, in addition to the original members.

The first Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, taking place from November 9-10 in Russia’s Sirius Federal Territory, has served as a platform for discussing the strengthening of ties between Russia and African nations. At the meeting, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to enhancing diplomatic relations with African countries, with a focus on economic and security cooperation.