Putin held talks with President Touadera of the Central African Republic in the Kremlin. The main thing

On March 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin with the leader of the Central African Republic (CAR) Faustin Arcange Touadera, who is currently in Russia on a working visit. The main topic of conversation was the cooperation between the two countries. Further communication between the leaders of the two countries will take place during a working lunch. The main statements of the Russian president are in the material of Izvestia.

About the relations between the countries

Putin recalled that just three months ago, the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Central African Republic was celebrated.

He added that the countries plan to create an intergovernmental commission on trade and economic relations.

"As far as the economy is concerned, we are planning a very timely decision, in my opinion, namely the creation of an intergovernmental commission that will deal with trade and economic relations. And here we have good prospects, in my opinion, in the energy sector, agriculture, and infrastructure," Putin said during a working visit by CAR President Faustin—Arcange Touadera.

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On cooperation in the humanitarian field

The Russian President also pointed to good prospects in the humanitarian sphere, adding that many issues are being resolved in the current regime.

"First of all, I would like to draw your attention and thank you for what you are doing to develop and popularize the Russian language in your country. Russian Russian Language Center and the Russian language education center are successfully operating there. I would like to express my gratitude to you in this regard and inform you that we have decided to increase the quota for students from your country. We really hope that this work will continue in the same way as in other areas of a humanitarian nature," he said.

On cooperation in the international arena

Putin pointed to another important area — Russia's cooperation with the Central African Republic in coordinating positions in the international arena.

"Our relevant ministries and departments are working in this vein, in constant contact with each other. And I am sure that it will continue to be so," the president noted.

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Context

This is not the first time Touadera has been in Russia. The last visit to Moscow took place about a year ago, in January 2025. Before that, the President of the Central African Republic visited Russia in 2023, 2019 and 2018. This trip was Touadera's first since his re-election to the highest state post at the end of 2025.

Russian became one of the languages offered in CAR schools back in 2019. It is studied there along with French, Spanish and Chinese. In 2022, the Russian cultural center "Russian House" opened in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. In November 2024, the first ministerial conference of the Russia—Africa Partnership Forum was held, on the sidelines of which an agreement was signed on the construction of a joint educational center in Bangui. At the end of 2025, it was also reported that students at Bangui University began to learn Russian.

According to Dmitry Syty, head of the Russian House in the Central African Republic, about 250 Central Africans leave for Russia every year to receive higher education.

"This is about 100 people who leave every year for higher education in Russia. 100 people are civilian specialties. There are also military specialties, which also employ about 130-150 people per year. The geography of education is very wide — the whole of Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok," Syty said in an interview with TASS.