The Central African Republic (CAR) is open to cooperation with Russia, China, and France, Prime Minister Felix Moloua told Sputnik in one of his first interviews since assuming office, adding that implementing a transparent policy was one of his priorities as it will help to gain trust among CAR's partners
BANGUI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2022) The Central African Republic (CAR) is open to cooperation with Russia, China, and France, Prime Minister Felix Moloua told Sputnik in one of his first interviews since assuming office, adding that implementing a transparent policy was one of his priorities as it will help to gain trust among CAR's partners.
CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera appointed Moloua as the new head of the government on February 7.
"We must work with everyone. I have very good relations with all partners... We are open to all our partners - China, Russia, France - those who want to work with us. We want to work in the conditions of mutually beneficial cooperation," Moloua said, noting that some foreign nations, including Russia, helped the country when the situation was "difficult."
Moloua also told Sputnik about the priorities of his work as the prime minister. According to Moloua, he plans to prioritize the use of all resources that the country has managed to mobilize under the National Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan (RCPCA) and build on what the car has already achieved.
The policy of the CAR government should be "transparent", Moloua reaffirmed.
"The programs that we will implement belong to the people. We will need to maintain transparency and set an example, this is how we will gain our partners' trust. We will also have to make efforts not to depend (solely) on foreign countries," Moloua noted.
The African nation was plunged into a security crisis after a coup in 2013, followed by violence between Muslim-majority Seleka and Christian Anti-Balaka fighters. The government and the leaders of 14 armed groups signed a peace deal in February 2019 to put an end to the fighting. However, the authorities have yet to regain control of large parts of the country's territory. In December 2020 the CAR held a presidential election, as a result of which the national constitutional court confirmed the victory of President Faustin-Archange Touadera with over 53% of the vote in the first round. Some electoral districts were unable to cast ballots in rebel-controlled areas, and some only managed to hold a partial vote owing to intimidation by armed militias. In January 2021, the country's constitutional court validated President Touadera's victory.
