"We proceed from the fact that providing material and technical assistance to African states is the moral obligation of developed countries, and many of them owe much of their well-being to the resources siphoned off of the continent," Nebenzia stressed.
"At the same time, developed countries have still not fulfilled the commitments they made half a century ago to bring official development assistance to 0.7% of GNP [Gross Natural Product]," he stated. "In 2021, this figure was only 0.33%.That is, developing countries may be seeing a shortfall of at least $200 billion in non-repayable aid annually."
"Many African countries – whether they have endured conflict or not – need support through the transfer of technology and expertise, the development of industry and the agricultural sector, infrastructure reconstruction, job creation, strengthening health and social protection systems," Nebenzya outlined.
"It is unacceptable for donors to make aid conditional on the fulfillment of political requirements or to link it to human rights situations or other arbitrary factors," Nebenzya emphasized. "[...] We believe that it is the political resolution of the conflict and the stabilization of the security situation as well as the transition to sustainable development that lay the foundation for remedying the human rights situation and building democratic institutions in a particular country, and not vice versa," the diplomat insisted.