MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2019) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov attended on Saturday the inauguration ceremony of Madagascar's president-elect Andry Rajoelina in Antananarivo and held a meeting with the sworn-in head of state, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Earlier in January, the country's Constitutional Court confirmed Rajoelina's victory in the second round of presidential elections with over 55 percent of the votes.
"The Russian delegation [to the inauguration ceremony] was headed by Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. At the end of the inauguration ceremony, Bogdanov was received by president Rajoelina, who was given an oral message from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin," the statement said.
The two sides discussed a number of issues aimed at further strengthening the traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Madagascar, focusing on intensifying mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, economy and investment and promoting promising projects in various areas.
"[Bogdanov and Rajoelina] also reaffirmed Moscow's and Antananarivo's mutual focus on further deepening political dialogue and strengthening coordination of stances in the international arena, based on the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, especially on the issues of countering terrorism, transnational crime and piracy off the African coast," the ministry added.
Prior to his election as president, Rajoelina headed the country's transitional administration from 2009 to 2013.
