President Salva Kiir Mayardit meets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa Summit in 2019 - Image: Getty Images/AFP/Pool/S. Chirikov

Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited President Salva Kiir on Tuesday to make a state visit to Russia next month.

That’s according to the press office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

In a statement on Tuesday, August 29, it says the non-resident Ambassador of the Russian Federation to South Sudan Vladlen Semivolos met with his Juba counterpart, Deng Dau over the invitation.

Denis Dumo Cosmas, the acting spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation told the media that Russian Ambassador, Semivolos delivered the invitation letter from President Vladimir Putin to President Salva Kiir Mayardit to visit Moscow next month.

Dumo said the meeting between the acting minister Deng Dau and Ambassador Semivolos is to prepare for President Kiir’s visit and explore the prospects of various bilateral collaborations between the two countries.

“This morning [Tuesday, August 29,] the Acting Minister, Hon. Deng Dau Malek, met with the Non-Resident Ambassador of the Russian Federation to South Sudan, H.E. Ambassador Vladlen Semivolos. The visit of H.E. the Ambassador is very important to prepare the state visit of His Excellency, President Salva Kiir Mayardit, to the Russian Federation next month,” said Dumo.

“As part of the preparation of the visit of His Excellency the President, the ambassador has also met several South Sudanese officials to explore respect of various bilateral cooperation in various fields of economic, investment and mining.”

According to some observers, the expected visit of President Salva Kiir will be a real economic power gain for South Sudan, especially in terms of trade and international or diplomatic diversity.