Mr Minister,

Friends,

We are sincerely happy to welcome you in your new capacity in Moscow. It has been our professional and personal pleasure to work with you over the past 15 years during your time as head of the diplomatic mission of Madagascar in the Russian Feratideon. We hope that your appointment to this new high position will make it possible to ensure continuity in our ties and to elevate them to a new level.

Our political dialogue is developing very well. In March 2018, President of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina visited Moscow. Our leaders also met in July on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. In July, former President of Madagascar Didier Ratsiraka visited Russia, and I had the pleasure of speaking with him. These contacts are a proof that all the key political forces in Madagascar are determined to expand partnership with the Russian Federation. We appreciate this, and we reciprocate. This also concerns our cooperation on the international scene, at the UN and other international organisations, as well as the need to expand our trade, economic and investment ties. I hope to discuss all these issues with you today.