For the first time, the ministerial conference of the Russiaâ”Africa Partnership Forum, which is the official name of our meeting, will take place on the African continent. We are glad that a year ago, during the first such conference in the Russian city of Sochi, our partners responded to the proposal to host the ministerial conference in 2025.
Let me recall that the Partnership Forum was established back in 2019. We have already successfully held two Russianâ”African summits â” in Sochi in 2019 and in St. Petersburg â” another city in Russia â” In 2023. Sectoral meetings on specific areas of cooperation are held regularly.
The work of the Forum is crucial for promoting the full range of Russianâ”African relations; it organically complements and enriches Russia’s relations with the African countries which are developing dynamically on a bilateral basis as well.
There are many reasons for Russiaâ”Africa mutual attraction. African friends remember, and we appreciate it, that our country, it was the Soviet Union back then, supported their desire to break free from the shackles of colonial dependence. We are proud that our predecessors provided this assistance selflessly and with dedication. It was the Soviet Union that played the key role in the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples exactly 65 years ago. After that Moscow has consistently contributed to the formation of young African States, their national economies, and the establishment of education and healthcare systems.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin said, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was the major geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. Our friends on the African continent felt its dismal effects. There was a noticeable slowdown in the relations at the turn of the millennium. However, the “end of history” did not happen, and today is the new heyday of the Russianâ”African friendship.
Russia appreciates that Africa is reawakening. In the middle of last century, the struggle culminated in decolonization, and now the African people are fighting for making all areas of their life sovereign. We fully support this fight. It is symbolic that at the UN and other international platforms Russia has been actively calling for enhanced efforts to eradicate modern practices of neo-colonialism. Many African countries are sending their representatives to participate in the “For the Freedom of Nations!” international movement established on the initiative of the United Russia political party.
Sergey Lavrov is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
It is important for us that Africa seeks to speak with a common voice in the international arena. Russian diplomacy will contribute to the development of the African continent as an influential centre of a multipolar world. This priority is enshrined in the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation. We believe that the inalienable right of African countries to independently determine the ways and models of their development and to choose international partners.
As Russian President Vladimir Putinat one time said, “We have virtually no disagreements with any African countries and the level of trust and mutual affinity is high, mainly because our relations with Africa have never been tarnished. We have never been involved in the exploitation of African peoples.”
Russia and Africa are natural allies in democratization of international relations on the principles of the UN Charter in their integrity, entirety and interconnection.
We have consistently advocated the rectification of historical injustice and the essential consideration of Africa’s interests in the work on the reform of the UN Security Council. We welcome African countries’ broader involvement in the work of the BRICS association which is playing an increasingly important role in advancing the collective aspirations of the Global South and the Global Majority.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia pays special attention to the maintenance of peace and security in Africa as a necessary condition for its social and economic progress. In the spirit of the “African solutions to African problems” concept, we are contributing to the settlement of regional conflicts and enhanced potential of the States of the continent to combat terrorism, as well as other threats and challenges.
The guidelines of Russianâ”African cooperation are outlined in the Russiaâ”Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan 2023â”2026. The guidelines cover, among other things, security, energy sector, trade, education, science and culture. It is gratifying that the Plan naturally matches the strategy that the African Union formulated in 2015 in the “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want”.
Africa’s importance to Russia is marked by the expansion of our diplomatic presence on the continent. Embassies in Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan have been opened this year. Next are new diplomatic missions in Gambia, Liberia, Togo and the Comoros. We welcome the plans of Botswana and Togo to open their diplomatic missions in Moscow.
We attach great importance to trade, economic, as well as investment cooperation. We appreciate that the trade turnover with Africa is growing steadily: compared to 2019, it increased by more than one and a half times, exceeding USD 27 billion last year. We are convinced that this is not the limit. Currently, increased trade with the States of subâ”Saharan Africa, expansion of supply of African products to the Russian market, and introduction of reliable mutual settlement mechanisms based on national currencies are on the agenda.
Intergovernmental commissions on trade and economic, as well as scientific and technical cooperation with African countries play an important role in strengthening ties between business circles. 19 such commissions are already operational. We are working to increase their number. Additional opportunities are provided by the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, a future common market with a total GDP exceeding USD 3 trillion.
Russia has never considered Africa as a raw materials base since we have plenty of our own natural resources. Our focus is on implementation of investment projects that help African countries develop their own resources, enhance industrial capacity, and improve the quality of life of the people. We have much to offer our partners in the energy sector, mineral resources management, logistics and transport, infrastructure, as well as in high-tech areas, including digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Such initiatives are designed for decades to come, and it is hard to overestimate their social and economic importance. We have a good example in the past. Over 300 industrial and infrastructure facilities which have been working successfully to this day were built on the African continent with the support of the Soviet Union.
Last year, 200,000 tons of Russian wheat were sent to the African States that are most in need. Along with humanitarian supplies of grain and fertilizers, we help African countries develop their own agricultural sector. We are ready to share technologies and experience in farming and breeding, fertilizer production, irrigation, and fishing.
We are open for interaction not only on a bilateral basis, but also with African multilateral mechanisms, primarily the African Union. We are interested in engaging in our common work like-minded countries from Eurasian structures, particularly the Eurasian Economic Union.
We continue to enhance Russianâ”African cooperation in such areas as emergency prevention and response, healthcare, and disease control. Russian mobile laboratories and diagnostic tools for infectious diseases are in great demand in Africa.
For many decades, our country has been contributing to the training of professionals for Africa, primarily in the field of agriculture, engineering, medicine, and teaching. Over 32,000 people from Africa are attending Russian universities today. Since 2020, the quota of Russian scholarships for the continent has almost tripled, exceeding 5,300.
Consistent facilitation of mutual travel could be a good help for expanding educational, cultural, humanitarian, and tourist exchanges.
In conclusion, I would like to note once again that Russia an old and trusted friend of Africa. The values of collectivism, solidarity, and mutual assistance are at the core of the Russian cultural code, which is generally in line with the African philosophy of Ubuntu â” “I exist because we exist”. On this sound basis, we will develop our friendship and cooperation, while respecting each other’s civilizational features.
Constructive and forward-looking partnership is essential for the well-being of our peoples. I am sure that the ministerial meeting in Cairo will lay the groundwork for the third Russiaâ”Africa Summit in 2026 and give it a new impetus.
Views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of IGIHE. Sergey Lavrov is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
