According to state media, Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, arrived in Angola on Tuesday evening and was welcomed by his counterpart.
There were concerns that recent actions by Angola, which may be interpreted as a departure from its neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, had incensed Moscow.
The nation urged Moscow to start the process of ending the conflict and denounced Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory in September.
According to one privately owned media outlet, Angola would need to exercise “political tact” to preserve its connections with both Russia and its western friends.
On Wednesday, Lavrov is scheduled to meet with President Joao Lourenço in the presidential palace in the nation’s capital, Luanda. During their meeting, the two leaders are anticipated to address a variety of topics, including bilateral relations.
This is coming after Lavrov paid a visit to Pretoria in South Africa. South Africa, a regional heavyweight, has resisted western pressure to criticise Russia and defended its impartial stance on the Ukraine conflict.
Recently, South Africa took over as head of the BRICS, a coalition that also consists of Brazil, Russia, India, and China and was formed to oppose the prevailing US- and European-led global governance systems.