Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram that Lavrov’s visit to the Republic of the Congo is "the first visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia/USSR to the Republic of the Congo."
Lavrov is currently on a five-day Africa tour. He met with the Egyptian leadership in Cairo on Sunday. The Russian foreign minister is also scheduled to visit Ethiopia and Uganda.
Lavrov's five-day tour is taking place following a landmark event for the region. On Friday, representatives of Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine signed a UN-brokered deal that lifted restrictions on the supplies of Russian products for export and provided for Moscow's assistance in exporting Ukrainian grain.
Lavrov told African media in an article published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, ahead of his tour, that Russia will continue to fulfill its obligations to supply food, fertilizer and energy to African countries, despite Western sanctions.
The previous big tour of the Russian foreign minister to Africa took place in 2018. Then, the country's top diplomat visited Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.