According to state media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Angola on Tuesday evening and was greeted by his Angolan counterpart. According to local media, Moscow was enraged by recent Angolan moves that could be interpreted as a shift away from its neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The country condemned Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian regions in September and asked Moscow to help end the conflict.
Angola’s ties with both Russia and its western allies will require “political tact,” according to one privately owned media outlet. Mr. Lavrov is scheduled to meet President Joo Lourenço on Wednesday at the presidential palace in Luanda, where the two leaders will discuss bilateral relations.
🇷🇺🇦🇴 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in #Angola as part of his African tour. Warm welcome!
📍 Luanda, Angola
🤝 #RussiaAngola #RussiaAfrica pic.twitter.com/7rIzRs3jSa
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) January 24, 2023