LUANDA:  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev thinks that the states that earlier had colonies in Africa should think about paying back the debt to the African continent.

“Russia has never been a colonial power, but we think that the time has come to pay back debts,” Medvedev told a news conference after talks with his Angolan counterpart in Luanda, Angola’s capital on Friday.

“One should give sources for self-development to African countries and to create efficiently working financial mechanisms for them,” Medvedev  said, adding that that is why “we meet with the leaders of the largest countries in Africa at leading international grounds and discuss these issues.”