03 September 2002 00:00
ON THE PARTICIPATION OF RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER MIKHAIL KASYANOV IN THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Russia is interested in the development of the countries of the African continent and will render them assistance in the training of health and education specialists, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov told journalists. He is taking part in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Speaking of assistance to the development of the economies of the Third World countries, the head of the Government of Russia stressed that our country is one of the largest donors. He noted that Russia has written off African debts totaling 35 billion dollars, which constitutes approximately half the whole amount written off by the other donor nations.
Touching on the course of the debate at the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, Kasyanov said that its participants' vision practically coincides on all the issues. In particular, according to him, the position of Russia fully coincides with the opinion regarding the need to finance development projects in the fields of environment and education, as well as access for goods from developing countries to the markets of Europe and North America. He also said that soon the Government of Russia at its meeting again intends to return to the question of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to fight the greenhouse effect.
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