Petr Tolstoy: the Parliamentary Conference “Russia-Africa” destroyed a myth of Russia’s isolation

“The last few days have totally destroyed the myth of Russia's isolation. Russia has not been isolated, while Russia now has selective approaches to choosing friends: card cheaters can no longer be our partners in any areas of cooperation,” said the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Petr Tolstoy Tolstoy
Petr Olegovich , commenting on the outcomes of the Conference.

According to the parliamentarian, “of course, there were countries that yielded to pressure from the West and did not dare to go to Moscow, but most of the delegations participated in the Conference.”

Petr Tolstoy recalled that 40 delegations took part in the Conference. “Following the Conference, there will be given an assessment of the joint work results and there will be made relevant decisions and signed documents consolidating cooperation with certain countries,” he added.

“Those remarks made by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the Conference the day before, including about the supply of grain to starving African countries on a free-of-charge basis, an increase in the quota for state-funded scholarships for students from Africa at Russian universities, will certainly be implemented, since such tools, among other things are important features of a so-called soft power,” emphasized Petr Tolstoy.