Relationship dossier

Madagascar Russia

Relationship assessment

Government-level engagement alongside Madagascar’s cautious stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine

Madagascar toward Russia

+10

Madagascar abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, avoiding a vote in favor of condemnation. The extent of other practical cooperation with Russia is unclear.

Russia toward Madagascar

+20

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Madagascar in 2023 for government-level talks, including discussion of bilateral cooperation. The scope and implementation of practical cooperation remain unclear.

Overall relationship

+15

The relationship includes government-level diplomatic engagement and a Malagasy decision not to support the 2022 UN General Assembly condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The scale and durability of practical cooperation are unclear, so the bilateral relationship appears limited in scope rather than a close partnership.

How to read these scores

Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.

−100: Extreme sustained hostility
−50: Substantially adversarial
0: Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
+50: Substantially cooperative
+100: Exceptionally close sustained partnership

“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.

Relationship context

Knowledge coverageLimited

Overview

Madagascar and Russia have maintained government-level engagement, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s 2023 visit to Madagascar. Madagascar also abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. These facts indicate some diplomatic engagement and a cautious stance toward Russia, but the breadth and durability of practical bilateral cooperation are unclear.

Key developments

Madagascar abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
2 March 2022
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Madagascar and held talks with Malagasy officials on bilateral cooperation.

Major uncertainties

The scope and implementation of bilateral agreements and practical cooperation are unclear.
The extent of Madagascar’s continuing policy alignment with Russia is uncertain.

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