Matvienko says Ethiopia plans to take part in celebrations to mark 80th anniversary of Victory Day

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko said on February 18 that Ethiopian authorities plan to take part in the celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War.

"Prime Minister (of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed. - Ed.) said that either the country's president or the prime minister will definitely take part in these celebrations. They will decide by that date depending on the situation, on the schedule, on the workload and so on," she announced.

According to her, the expansion of cooperation between Ethiopia and Russia is in the national interests of the two countries.

Matviyenko also noted that Ethiopia was the first country to face fascism when Italy attacked it.

"(Ethiopia - Ed.) it is not by chance that it supports Russian resolutions in the UN to combat the glorification of Nazism," she concluded.

"Ethiopia's huge market is attracting Russian companies"

Russian Ambassador to Addis Ababa Yevgeny Terekhin on the African country's membership in BRICS, high-level contacts and expansion of direct air service

Earlier, on February 6, Moscow summarized the results of Russia's joint work with the countries of the African continent on the forum track in 2024 and outlined plans for 2025. It is specified that 2024 became a landmark year for cooperation between Russia and Africa.