Moscow has increased its exports of petroleum products to African nations in recent years, despite facing Western sanctions, as stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov made this announcement during an interview for a documentary project on oil, which was released on the Foreign Ministry’s website.
He mentioned that Russia has doubled its export of petroleum products to Africa over the past year and a half. Lavrov also addressed concerns about competition with other countries, such as Iran, in the oil market, stating that there is no fear regarding Iran’s legal rights to trade oil and invest in economic development.
The diplomat highlighted the cooperation within OPEC+, where both Iran and Russia are members, emphasizing the importance of negotiation and compromise. Russia has significantly increased its energy exports to Asia and Africa, especially after the EU stopped accepting Moscow’s oil transported by sea.
China and India have become major buyers of Russian crude following the redirection of cargoes from Europe to the east in response to Western sanctions. Last year, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov projected that Moscow would supply around 20 million tons of oil and petroleum products to African countries by the end of 2023.
Reports have shown substantial growth in Russian oil imports in countries like Ghana, Libya, Tunisia, Togo, Morocco, Senegal, and Nigeria, indicating the expanding presence of Russian energy products in the African market.
