Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will lead a large trade delegation next week on visits to four African countries, including the continent's biggest oil producers, dpa cited Namibian media reports as saying Today. They said Medvedev would arrive in the desert country on June 25, after visiting Egypt, Nigeria and Angola. Nigeria and Angola are the Africa's biggest oil producers while Egypt is a major gas producer and Namibia's coastline is also believed to contain significant gas deposits. Confirming the Namibian stage of the trip, Namibia's information ministry said Medvedev would be accompanied by around 400 people and would hold talks with President Hifikepunye Pohamba, as well as paying a courtesy call on founding president Sam Nujoma. The statement noted that Namibian-Russian relations dated back to the "long years of struggle for Namibia's independence and nationhood," a a time when Russia was providing military support and training to several leftist African liberation movements. These days, Russia's interests in Namibia are centred on oil and gas exploration, uranium prospecting and diamond polishing.
