Latest news with #MariaManuelaLucas
Russia Today
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Everything stolen from Africa must be returned
Africa must reclaim everything that was taken by Western colonial powers – not only stolen cultural artifacts, but also its dignity, independence, and economic agency, Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela Lucas said on Tuesday. Speaking after talks in Moscow with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, she argued that historical injustices must be addressed through structural reform, not just symbolic acts from Western powers. Lucas stressed that Africa's return to sovereignty must go beyond the repatriation of museum pieces and focus on transforming how the continent takes part in the global economy. This includes ending dependency on raw materials exports and investing in domestic value-added production, she added. 'Everything that was brought away from Africa must be returned to the continent,' Lucas said. 'I'm not only speaking about tangible artifacts, [but also] about the policy that would result in our economic independence... We would like to feel as Africans, to work as Africans, to be Africans.' Her remarks follow Mozambique's request in May for the return of around 800 cultural objects held in European museums – including traditional masks, statues, and ritual archives removed by the colonial authorities. The minister of education and culture, Samaria Tovela, said the restitution of these items is crucial to restoring cultural identity. Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975, after a decade-long liberation struggle led by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique. Like many post-colonial African nations, it has called for reparations and the return of cultural property removed during the colonial era. In June, the Netherlands returned 119 artifacts to Nigeria, including human and animal figures, plaques, royal regalia, and a historic bell. They were looted from the West African country more than a century ago. The African Union has declared 2025 the year of reparations.
Russia Today
22-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
EU using Goebbels-style propaganda to fuel anti-Russia frenzy
The EU has been locked in an anti-Russian 'frenzy,' focusing exclusively on militarization instead of fixing domestic issues that plague the bloc, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Lavrov made the comments on Tuesday at a press conference in Moscow following talks with his Mozambican counterpart, Maria Manuela Lucas. He condemned the increasingly hostile rhetoric and actions of the EU, claiming that the 'lessons of history' have been 'poorly learned by the current generations of Germans, French, and representatives of other European countries.' 'Europe has gone into a frenzy… They are inciting their peoples in every way possible, instilling in them the spirit of Goebbels' propaganda that Russia is... an existential threat, and that Russia is about to attack Europe, so they have to forget about social problems, about failures in the economy, and about the process of deindustrialization, which is observed in Germany and other European countries,' while focusing exclusively on 'the militarization of Europe,' Lavrov said. Last week, the European Commission unveiled a record-high long-term €2 trillion ($2.33 trillion) draft budget for 2028-34 – a €600 billion increase compared to the 2021-27 budget. The draft envisioned a fivefold increase in defense-related investment, which reached €131 billion, as well as doubling the 'Ukraine facility', a dedicated fund, to €100 billion in loans and grants. The proposed budget has faced criticism from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who claims that the draft prioritizes Ukraine's potential entry into the bloc above everything else. Around a quarter of the sum would directly benefit Kiev in various ways, Orban said, adding that other areas such as agriculture are subject to cuts. 'This budget would destroy the European Union. I don't think this budget will even survive next year,' Orban said, predicting that the proposal will be significantly watered down before member states consider approving it.
Russia Today
22-07-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Mozambican president planning Russia visit
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo is planning to visit Russia, the country's foreign minister, Maria Manuela Lucas, announced during a press conference following talks with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow on Tuesday. Chapo took office as leader of the southeast African nation in January. Lavrov confirmed that he would also visit Maputo in return. Lavrov's most recent visit to Mozambique took place in 2018. The two nations officially established diplomatic ties in 1975. 'Madam Minister kindly invited me to once again visit hospitable Maputo. I will certainly do so,' Lavrov said during the joint briefing. Mozambique is seeking Russian expertise in several strategic sectors. Lucas highlighted fishing and maritime development as a priority, given the country's long Indian Ocean coastline and underdeveloped fisheries sector. 'Russia has a vast experience in the field of fisheries development and development of water resources,' Lucas said. 'We would like to develop cooperation in the field of the industrialization of our country, we would like to use the support and the experience of Russia.' In recent months, Russia has supplied more than 70,000 tons of grain to Mozambique, according to Lucas. She added that her country also wants to diversify foreign partnerships in the extractives sector, particularly in natural gas. 'We asked Minister Lavrov to support large companies from Russia that are engaged in oil and gas extraction and would like to enter the Mozambican market,' she stated. Education was another focus of the talks. Lavrov said 75 Mozambican students are currently enrolled in Russian universities under a government quota – and that Moscow is prepared to offer more slots in the future. 'We are ready to give more,' Lavrov noted. The Russian diplomat also highlighted the role of alternative financial systems in Moscow's engagement with Africa, saying that mechanisms using national currencies were already in use and steadily improving. 'These mechanisms have been functioning for quite some time and continue to improve, primarily involving the broader use of national currencies – but not exclusively,' Lavrov said, describing them as part of a broader effort to shield trade from Western-controlled financial institutions.
