The Pan Afrikan Watchman

Preparations for the second Russia-Africa summit in
St. Petersburg in July 2023 are underway, the Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Minister of Russian Foreign Affairs has said.

In an interview published in the Russian newspaper, ‘Arguments and Facts’,

Mikhail L. Bogdanov described Africa as one of the “most significant direction of the Russian foreign policy”.

The first Russia-Africa summit in Sochi in October 2019 has given a strong impetus to the development of Russia’s entire set of relations with Africa.

Earlier, on December 7, Bogdanov held a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions of African states accredited in Moscow in the context of the preparation and holding of the second Russia-Africa summit, scheduled for July 2023 in St. Petersburg.

During a keen discussion on a range of issues related to the participation of African delegations in the summit, the Russian side stressed that the forthcoming forum is to become a key event in Russia’s relations with the countries of the African continent, define their development in the long term and make a significant contribution to building a just multipolar world order system and resolving many global and regional problems.

It was proposed that the structure of the summit should include political, economic and humanitarian areas of cooperation. In the framework of the relevant panel sessions, in-depth consideration of food and energy security on the continent, investment, industrialisation, agro-industrial development, cooperation in education, health, science, culture, media and sports is planned.

He said that Russia is working purposefully to promote political dialogue, increase and diversify trade, economic and investment cooperation, expand scientific and technical ties and humanitarian contacts with the African countries.

Bogdanov emphasised that the efforts are appreciated by Russian partners in Africa. In the current geopolitical environment, Russia’s international prestige is steadily growing.

The trend is clearly seen in African countries, which view Russia as an important counterweight to the hegemonic aspirations of the West in the emerging multipolar world.

“Many African states seek real independence from their former metropolises to pursue truly independent policies” he noted.

Bogdanov also mentioned, “at present, the current authorities of Mali are curtailing their former privileged cooperation with France, reorienting themselves towards a strategic partnership with the Russian Federation.

“Similar situation is recorded in neighbouring Burkina Faso. As a result of the Russian assistance in increasing Malian army’s combat capability, training military and law enforcement officers, Mali has made tangible progress in countering the terrorist threat”, Bogdanov said.

It should be noted that France’s nearly nine-year military presence in Mali under Operation Barkhan was not crowned with serious success in the fight against terrorists.

“Today’s world is on the move. The old hegemony of the ‘collective West’ is slowly but steadily receding into the past, and Africa’s sovereign states are objectively part of these global processes”, the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs underlined.