Nigerian President Hopes for Private Talks With Putin at Russia-Africa Summit, Ambassador Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari hopes for a personal conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 2022 Russia-Africa Summit, Nigerian Ambassador to Moscow Abdullahi Shehu said in his first interview since taking office.

"He looks forward to a similar discussion hopefully in the near future by 2022 when the second summit is held," the ambassador said.

Nigeria has not offered to host the next Russia-Africa summit, scheduled for the fall of 2022, but would welcome the decision to do so, Nigerian Ambassador said.

"Nigeria is part of Africa, so if eventually it’s decided that it will be held in Nigeria — so be it, but in the meantime, we have not offered, we have not even requested to host. I think there is a general expectation," Shehu said.

He also confirmed Nigeria's full support of Moscow's initiative to hold the second Russia-Africa summit in Africa, but noted that the consultations on the host country are still going on "at the highest political level."

The first Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum took place in the Russian city of Sochi in October 2019. The leaders of 54 African states were invited to the event. The summit was co-chaired by Russia and Egypt.

Developed countries should help developing ones, in particular those in Africa, reduce the use of coal and oil to combat climate change, Abdullahi Shehu said.

"What we only need to understand is that we are not at the same level of development as other countries, so when they are saying stop the use of coal, oil and other things from gem maybe to renewable energy that is based on the kind of strength that developing countries have to do that and we would expect that the more advanced countries would support the less developed countries to get to their own level of development so that we can move almost at the same speed mutually beneficial to each other," the ambassador said.

The diplomat also stressed that African countries have a common position on the issue of combating climate change, and Nigeria strictly adheres to this position.