“Exploitation continues in Africa, but through economic methods,” Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister reckons that the economy has been weaponized and that African countries are among those bearing the brunt.

Sergey Lavrov was speaking Tuesday (Jun. 25) in Minsk at a meeting with students and teachers.

"Among those countries that want to be independent and seek mutually respectful partnerships are China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Vietnam. The list is not exhaustive. In Africa, many countries are increasingly asserting their national interests and understanding that exploitation continues, but through different economic methods.

During the official visit to Belarus, Lavrov announced the nation will be admitted in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

“The very first act of the summit in Astana will be the official admission of Belarus to full members of the SCO, and for the rest of the summit Belarus will participate on an equal basis with all other members,” Lavrov said.

The president of Belarus Lukashenko replied that his country's accession to the SCO is important “not only from the point of view of image and politics, but also from the point of view of the economy.”