Even though Western mainstream outlets dominate the media landscape in the region, with most TV channels in Oyo being French and broadcasting EU/US taking points on Ukraine, leadership of the Republic of Congo practices independent foreign policy, not being afraid to communicate with Moscow directly.

📹"We will officially pay a million for that, can agree on an extra million": FSB video on how the operation of Ukrainian intelligence to hijack Russian combat aircraft was stopped

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💬Ahead of the visit Sergey Lavrov praised "an independent path" for African nations

❗Odessa port strike should not affect grain export - Kremlin

President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso arriving to hold talks with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov.

🇨🇬How Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was welcomed in the Republic of Congo

👉Find out more information about the visit of the Russian delegation to the Republic of Congo on Sputnik special correspondent Denis Bolotsky's Telegram channel

FM Lavrov being greeted in Russian language by the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Congo Jean-Claude Gakosso: "How is life?". Brief informal exchange follows.

🇿🇼Zimbabwe has begun minting gold coins. The move is designed to forge an alternative to the US dollar, reduce demand for foreign currency and strengthen the local money.

The new coin was named Mosi-oa-Tunya (after the local name for Africa's largest waterfall, Victoria Falls). The cost of Mosi-oa-Tunya will be based on global gold prices and will also include a 5% commission for production and distribution.

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🗣 Europe "must be prepared" for total shutdown of Russia gas supplies: EU Commission president

Ursula von der Leyen warned that Moscow may switch off the flow “sooner or later.” The European Commission head also urged the bloc to phase out Russian fossil fuels and accelerate a green transition.

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⚡️⚡️ There are no obstacles to grain export from Odessa, Russian foreign minister says

❗️🎥 A Mariupol resident describes how the Azov neo-Nazis set the hospital on fire and didn't let residents put it out.

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🇨🇳South China Sea is not a “safari park” for governments outside the region, Chinese Foreign Minister says.

🗣 China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that the region's nations are the “real masters” in dealing with their disputes in the South China Sea: “In the process of implementing the DOC [the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea], we have always followed the Asian tradition of mutual respect and keeping promises, abandoning the zero-sum mindset, which has manifested the great value and vitality of the declaration.”

Wang also said that “extraterritorial powers” are deliberately provoking conflict in the region in order to maintain their “hegemony”, and they should be welcomed only if they promote “peace and cooperation”.