The Pan Afrikannist Watchman

On September 10, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov received Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat at the Russian Foreign Minsitry.

Mahamat was in Moscow for the ceremony of awarding the #AfricanUnion the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize. The award ceremony was held at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on September 9.

The Leo Tolstoy prize was awarded to the African Union this year in recognition of a significant contribution to strengthening peace and preventing the threat of a Third World War or nuclear catastrophe.

The award was presented by Valery Gergiev, world-famous conductor and chairman of the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize jury.

The Leo Tolstoy prize recognizes significant achievements in the field of demilitarization, democratization and humanization of international relations based on generally accepted norms of morality and law.

It is awarded by an international jury formed by the founders of the L.N. Tolstoy International Peace Prize Foundation

In his meeting with Lavrov, the AUC Chairperson and his officials discussed a wide range of issues related to multi-pronged cooperation between Russia and the African Union.

This included the strengthening of coordination of efforts for peace, security, stability and sustainable development.

They also expressed a shared interest in expanding economic ties, including between the African Union and the #EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union).

The AEU is made up of five member states: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.

The Russian side reaffirmed its invariable readiness to consolidate efforts with the African Union at international venues during discussions of the African continent’s current problems, based on the African Solution to African Problems principle.   

They also focused on tasks concerning the implementation of the decisions made at the Second Russia-Africa Summit held in St Petersburg in July 2023.

At that seminal summit, a Declaration outlining tasks to follow up and implement in pursuit of the mutual coooeration between the two sides, was adopted.

Among other things the Declaration commits to:

> Encourage further strengthening of trade, economic, and investment  cooperation between the Russian Federation and African States. Foster the economic, trade and investment partnership between the Russian Federation and the African Union, as well as the leading African regional organizations – the Arab Maghreb Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community, the Economic Community of West African States, the Economic Community of Central African States, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

> Welcome the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area in order to enhance the market integration, industrialisation and economic development of the African continent by facilitating technology transfer and encouraging investment. In this regard facilitate further cooperation between the Russian Federation and Africa in attracting investment, promoting the development of value chains and boosting mutual capacity to produce and export value added manufactured products.

> Facilitate equitable access of all States to the benefits of the world economy and the international division of labour, as well as to modern technologies to support equitable and even development.

> Contribute to sustainable and comprehensive economic growth, and a more representative system of international economic governance to respond effectively to global and regional economic and financial challenges.

> Oppose any unilateral measures, protectionism and discrimination, and continue efforts aimed at implementing the Sustainable Development Goals to make the global economic system more oriented towards attainment of economic and social rights, including the right to development.

> Stress the need for inclusive multilateral financial measures that provide relief of the debt burden for low- and middle-income countries

> Call for concrete actions to reform the policies and practices of the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to scale up financing for developing countries to assist them in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

> Facilitate the restructuring of the global financial architecture to better address the growing developmental needs and reflect the interests and increasing influence of developing countries, as well as to overcome the adverse impact of conditions imposed on them in relation to the full and effective enjoyment of human rights.

> Welcome membership of the African Union in the G20. Enhance the African representation in the G20.

> Agree on the need to reform the WTO to ensure an open, transparent, inclusive, and non-discriminatory world trading system while preserving the WTO fundamental principles, including the special and differential treatment for developing and the least developed countries. The reform process should be inclusive, transparent and member-driven.

> Provide support to Russian and African entrepreneurs in exploring ways of mutually beneficial cooperation.

> Provide the necessary assistance to efforts to formalize the dialogue between the Eurasian Economic Union and Africa’s regional and other integration structure in order to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of sustainable economic development, industry, agriculture, trade, digital economy, logistics, business development, and in other matters within the competence of these integration structures.

> Encourage cooperation between the Russian Federation and African States in the field of trade, industrial development and investment flows facilitation, in particular within the framework of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (2016–2025) proclaimed by the UN General Assembly.

> Assist the work of bilateral Russian-African intergovernmental commissions, committees on trade and economic, scientific and technical cooperation, and sectoral working groups, encourage the establishment of new partnerships between the Russian Federation and African States.

> Work together to ensure access to reliable, modern and clean energy sources in order to improve access to energy and eradicate energy poverty and overcome energy shortage with due regard to their obligations under international law.

> Develop cooperation in the field of energy security, diversification of energy resources and development of domestic energy markets of African States, taking into account the right of each State to formulate its own national policy in this area with due regard to their obligations under international law.

> Emphasize the importance of enhancing energy security and market stability by strengthening value chains, promoting open, transparent, and competitive markets, ensuring the protection of critical energy infrastructure and condemning terrorist attacks against any critical infrastructure, including energy infrastructure.

> Promote balanced distribution of risks and responsibilities between energy producers and consumers to support African developing countries, as well as to facilitate a just energy transition and relevant international cooperation.

> Promote food sovereignty and security or African States, particularly net food importing countries, inter alia, through cooperation aimed at developing Africa’s own sustainable agricultural production, including technology transfer.

> Scientific and technical, humanitarian, educational, cultural, sports, health, youth and information cooperation.

> Develop cooperation in the field of education, facilitate participation in joint research projects, organization of scientific conferences and seminars, expansion and deepening of collaboration between educational institutions of the Russian Federation and African States. Promote professional training programmes, academic and student exchanges, as well as the study of the Russian language in African countries and the development of African studies in Russia.

> Strengthen national health systems and improve their reliability and sustainability in the fight against epidemics, pandemics, and other public health challenges, whilst commending the work of the African Union on pandemic preparedness, responsiveness and resilience through the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

> Consider the possibility of cooperation in the field of prevention of and response to natural disasters and epidemics, discuss ways of strengthening cooperation in such areas as promoting socio-economic development, providing humanitarian assistance, combating climate change, drought and desertification, disaster prevention and response, as well as emergency monitoring and forecasting.

> Respect civilizational and national diversity of the Russian Federation and Africa, emphasize the uniqueness of the traditions and historical heritage of our peoples. Develop cultural dialogue in order to maintain the traditional spirit of friendship and cooperation in Russian-African relations. Strengthen cultural ties as a tool for achieving mutual understanding.

> Facilitate the holding of cultural and humanitarian events, mutual visits of artists for the purposes of developing creative contacts, exchanging experience, participating in conferences, symposiums and other thematic fora.

> Develop Russian-African cooperation in the field of preservation, restoration and protection of cultural property.

> Develop cooperation in the field of sports. Promote exchanges of delegations, athletes, teams, coaches and other specialists in the field of sports training. Jointly oppose the politicization of sports within international organizations and advocate a guaranteed free access for athletes and sports organizations to international sports activities, explore the possibilities of developing new formats of sports cooperation between Russia and African States.

> Promote cooperation in the field of tourism, dissemination of information on tourism opportunities of the Russian Federation and African States.

> Establish cooperation between Russian and African youth organizations and promote the organization of thematic events to further strengthen and develop youth cooperation.

> Develop cooperation in the field of information, including strengthening contacts between national media, providing professional and advanced training for journalists, expanding information exchange, implementing joint media projects, ensuring respect for the rights of journalists and promoting the development of media outlets of compatriots living abroad.

(C) TPA2024