The meeting was primarily organized by the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs to brainstorm with the African diplomatic and intellectual community for their diversified views as the Russian authorities planned to step up cooperation with Africa.

During the discussions, a broad range of questions were touched on, and a number of recommendations and some innovative initiatives were worked out that will provide a foundation for future cooperation.

The meeting focused on the development of bilateral political dialogue at all levels with perspectives for the economic cooperation with African countries. The State Duma, which is Russia's lower legislative chamber, planned to establish and strengthen parliamentary diplomacy with the Pan-African Parliament as well as national parliaments in African countries.

The meeting reviewed the current developments in Russian-African relations and also discussed the prospects for stepping up bilateral cooperation in culture, education, science, tourism, sports and youth exchanges to widen the mutual interest of the peoples of both regions and to realize new corporate projects in these areas.

The meeting briefly mentioned the importance of reviewing the legal procedures for economic and business schemes that aimed at strengthening mutual cooperation between Russia and African countries.

The meeting, however, pledged to continue the search for new spheres for cooperation in the field of media, acknowledging that it would help with the flow of information in the two regions.

The Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Africa, Mr Konstantin Kosachov, who moderated the meeting, assertively noted in his closing remarks that the meeting would firmly work together to push the relations to a new qualitative stage based on common mutual interests and economic partnership, and with common goals.

He said another reviewed session is scheduled to take place in 2010, the exact date for which will be announced later by the Committee.

-APA