The Russia-Africa Social Forum, held recently in Moscow, saw an affirmation of the mutual desire between Russia and Madagascar to step up co-operation across a number of sectors, including tourism.
The two countries are looking at an agreement on co-operation in tourism, with further hopes to launch direct flights between the two countries’ capitals.
This is according to Malagasy Foreign Minister Maxime Dovo, who told Sputnik in an interview on the side-lines of the Forum, that while the countries were still currently just in talks over any agreements, they were preparing for the signing of new agreements in the field of tourism, to open the link between Moscow and Antananarivo, to launch direct flights. “We know that a lot of tourists from Russia are travelling all over the world. “We want to open this flight [connection] because tourism is a key sector for Madagascar.”
Dovo said Madagascar could learn from Russia’s experience in tourism as well as with other sectors. He said he intended to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss further development of bilateral relations.
“Many years of friendship between Russia and Africa include the participation of the Russian military in Africa,” said Dovo, “which assisted enormously in trade and economic aspects. Africa needs partners who have assisted its development,” he said.
