The Russian Foreign Ministry told about the increase in the tourist flow of Russians to the African continent

After the restrictions imposed by the West, the number of Russian travelers in Africa has noticeably increased. Anatoly Bashkin, Director of the Africa Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia.

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"This happened even despite the fact that compared to traditional routes, traveling there is not the cheapest pleasure. Africa attracts with its local color, abundance and diversity of natural beauties - in fact, it remains one of the most amazing places on the planet, where modernity neighbors with the traditions of the past," the Russian diplomat noted.

He also spoke about the potential for expanding the geography of domestic carriers' routes to Africa.

"We have good legal foundations with Africa for the development of cooperation in the field of civil aviation. Relevant agreements have been concluded with 42 states of the continent, 35 of which are located south of the Sahara. Unfortunately, today in some of the countries supervised by the Department there is a regular air service only with one: flights from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to Moscow", - added Anatoly Bashkin.

The diplomat emphasized that in order to expand the route network, it is necessary to take into account a number of legal aspects, as well as illegitimate anti-Russian sanctions.

"In principle, we are in favor of expanding the geography of routes of domestic carriers, including African countries, and are ready to provide all possible assistance. But there are a number of nuances here, first of all, the impact of illegitimate sanctions imposed on the industry. In this regard, it is necessary to take into account the legal aspects and legal norms of each individual state on the whole range of issues - from obtaining permits to maintenance of aircrafts, their refueling and so on," he said.

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