Congo and Russia signed a new series of cooperation agreements in Brazzaville on Friday, as the African country continues to assert neutrality in the armed conflict between Moscow and Kiev since February, AFP reported.

“The signing of five cooperation agreements (…) contributes to the strengthening of our relations,” said Denis Christel Sassou Ngesso.

The Congolese Minister of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public-Private Partnership, who is also the son of the Congolese head of state, initialed these agreements with the Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Pavel Sorokin.

The concluded agreements and signed memoranda relate to information and communication technologies, health care, scientific research, innovative technologies and activities, culture and sports.

Congo and Russia have cooperation agreements since 1964. Until then, this cooperation focused more on military training and education. Officially, Russia accepts an average of 150 Congolese students per year.

Brazzaville also plans to build an oil pipeline with a length of more than 1,000 kilometers, with the Russian company Prometheus appointed as the project manager. The duration of the works and their financing have not yet been specified.

After Russia’s offensive on Ukraine began in February, Congo-Brazzaville declared itself a “neutral” country in the conflict.

In March, it was among 35 countries that abstained from voting on a UN resolution that “requires Russia to immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine.”