The delegation from Russia headed by the Russian Federation’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov engages the Sierra Leone Government through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tim Kabba to discuss the possible introduction of their embassy in Sierra Leone at the end of this year.

Russia had earlier made it clear in its quest to explore Africa to boost Russian-African cooperation. A notable result was Russia’s commitment to opening its embassy in Freetown this year.

The facility in Sierra Leone will be operational by the end of the year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said

He also said in an earlier press conference in Moscow, Lavrov had emphasized that the decision has already been made to establish a new Russian mission in Freetown and that both parties are working on the details.

He further said that the nation’s respective governments are considering collaboration on nuclear energy, including the potential construction of a facility in Sierra Leone.

“We have agreed that the relevant government departments of Sierra Leone will formulate additional requests for Russian investors in various sectors, including the potential for cooperation in nuclear energy and peaceful [atomic industry] in non-energy sectors,” Lavrov said.

The diplomat also noted that Freetown is keen on collaborating with Moscow on healthcare and that Sierra Leone has shown interest in Russian investment for mutually beneficial projects.

“The humanitarian sphere has traditionally been one of the priorities,” Lavrov added.

Speaking in Russian, Kabba offered his congratulations to Russian President Vladimir Putin on his “convincing” election victory and recent inauguration, and wished the nation “further prosperity.”

The previous meeting between the two countries’ top diplomats was in 2021, when then-Sierra Leonean Foreign Minister David John Francis visited Moscow and held talks with Lavrov.

Russia and Sierra Leone established diplomatic relations in 1962.

The two nations are also discussing cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy, including the possibility of constructing a nuclear power plant in the West African country, according to reports. The plan was announced on Tuesday at a news conference in Moscow after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Timothy Musa Kabba.