President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia has written off debt to African countries.

According to INTERFAX, on Thursday Vladimir Putin held talks with the President of the Republic of Guinea, Alpha Conde. After them, the Russian president presented his Guinean colleague with the Order of Friendship. According to the Guinean tradition, when the President of Guinea receives an award from the head of the host state during his official visit, he in return awards him with the Order of the "Great Cross".

It is awarded exclusively to the heads of state for their contribution to the maintenance of peace and security, efforts to resolve conflicts and resolve acute social and economic problems. This order is the highest award of the Republic of Guinea.

"As part of the initiative to help the poorest countries with heavy indebtedness, African countries have written off more than $ 20 billion in debt," Putin told reporters after the talks. The President added that in 2016, Russia allocated $ 5 million for the support of African countries through the channels of the World Food Organization.