President for the Re-Foundation of the Republic of Madagascar, Michael Randrianirina, hoping to move Russian-Madagascar partnership to a new level and to expand economic collaboration, paid a working visit to the Kremlin. Russia and Madagascar have, together, cooperated for 55 years, and today the southern African nation stands prepared to build new partnerships with the Russian Federation.

During the meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Randrianirina reaffirmed his strong commitment to strengthening relations, and further emphasized cooperation across diverse areas: social development, healthcare, education, energy, hydrocarbons, infrastructure, and, of course, military cooperation. “We are ready to work closely with you, remain open to expanded collaboration, and move our partnership to a new level,” he told Putin.

In his opening remarks, Putin reminded that Russian-Madagascar ties have always been steady, and as at today, Madagascar is a key partner for Russia in Africa. “We have seen, and it is clear to all, that your government is taking significant steps to improve the situation across the country. There are good prospects for further strengthening our bilateral ties in the political sphere. We were very pleased to welcome a high-level delegation from Madagascar to Russia recently,” Putin added.

Madagascar, is an island in the India ocean, and has numerous smaller peripheral islands. Since Madagascar’s independence from France in 1960, the island’s political transitions have been marked by numerous popular protests, several disputed elections, an impeachment, two military coups, and an assassination. 

It is a challenging period for Madagascar–approximately 70% of the population lived below the national poverty line, despite its huge untapped natural resources. Madagascar’s other sources of growth have been tourism, agriculture, and the extractive industries. The fishing sector represents $800 million or 6% of GNP and directly employs 200,000 jobs. 

The country ranked fourth globally in terms of chronic malnutrition, with nearly one in two children under the age of five experiencing stunted growth. According to the NGO WaterAid, approximately 12 million people lacked access to safe drinking water. In 2025, the population of Madagascar was estimated at 32 million. Madagascar is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

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