Written by: Badr Ahmed

The Republic of Chad and the Russian Federation signed an agreement exempting holders of diplomatic and service passports from entry visas, in a move that reflects the growing bilateral relations between the two countries and the keenness of both sides to facilitate official communication and enhance cooperation in various political and economic fields.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday during the official visit of the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Chadians Abroad, Abdallah Saber Fadoul, to the Russian capital, Moscow, at the head of a high-level Chadian delegation, within the framework of bilateral political consultations between the two countries, which aim to strengthen the partnership and expand areas of joint cooperation.

Chad and Russia sign an agreement to exempt holders of diplomatic passports from visa fees.

The signing of the agreement took place on the sidelines of talks held by the Chadian minister with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters, where the two sides reviewed the reality of bilateral relations and discussed ways to raise them to broader levels, in order to achieve the common interests of the two countries and enhance opportunities for cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, scientific and educational fields.

The two sides also discussed the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit in October, which is considered an important milestone for strengthening cooperation between Russia and African countries. They also discussed a number of regional and international issues of common interest, most notably security developments in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, ways to support security and stability in the region, as well as coordination within international organizations and the reform of the UN Security Council, reflecting the two countries’ interest in strengthening coordination on international issues.

During the talks, both sides stressed the importance of continuing regular political dialogue and intensifying consultations on regional and international issues, while working to expand cooperation in priority sectors, in order to support development and achieve stability, and to strengthen bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect and common interests.

The visit concluded with a joint press conference, during which the foreign ministers of the two countries affirmed Chad and Russia’s commitment to continuing to develop bilateral relations and expanding areas of partnership, in a way that serves the interests of both peoples and strengthens cooperation in various fields.

The signing of the agreement to exempt holders of diplomatic and service passports from visas is a practical indicator of the development of relations between N'Djamena and Moscow, as it provides a more flexible framework for the flow of official visits, enhances coordination between government institutions, and opens the way for pushing bilateral cooperation towards broader horizons in the next stage, in light of mutual interest in strengthening the political and economic partnership between the two countries.