Russia 'Partner of Choice for Africa,' Senegalese Diplomat Says
© AP Photo / Sergei Chirikov
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In a recent interview with Sputnik, Luciano Ncogo Ndong Ayecaba, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to Russia, stated that Africa will never forget the USSR and Russia due to the fact that the country was and is today a faithful friend of the continent.
More and more players are attracted by the continent's potential, which can be harnessed for development. With this in mind, Russia can become a partner of choice, offering its expertise in technology, industry, and energy to a number of countries, Jean-Baptiste Tiathie Tine, Senegalese ambassador to Moscow, told Sputnik Africa.
"Everyone realizes that the continent of the future is Africa! It is the largest market in the making, it is a very young continent, full of resources, there is every interest in helping it to integrate into the world economy. In this perspective, Russia is a partner of choice, given its capabilities in terms of technology transfer, technique for the industrialization of the continent, and so on. We can expect a lot from this great country," he stated.
Russia's interest in Africa, however, is not new. The Soviet Union provided political support during the entire decolonization process, and likewise during the fight against apartheid in South Africa, the diplomat recalls.
"We note a renewed interest from all major global players in Africa. In the case of Russia, this is a renewed interest, because since decolonization it had never lost interest in the issue and had contributed a lot to the efforts of the continent, until the ultimate fight against apartheid," the diplomat emphasized.
It is in this spirit of rapprochement that events such as the Africa Calling conference are being carried out, which took place on 5 June in Moscow and which the ambassador regards as "a call from Russia to Africa and from Africa to Russia."
Sanctions penalize Africa
Despite the strengthening of ties with many countries on the continent, Russia, however, must deal with Western sanctions – restrictions that also handicap the continent, especially in the agricultural sector.
The difficulties of Russian companies in reaching Africa are particularly detrimental, explains Jean-Baptiste Tiathie Tinequi, who nevertheless welcomes the responsiveness of Russian and African entrepreneurs.
"The grain and fertilizer trade has experienced a slowdown in the direction of Africa, which has a certain social impact [...] I am convinced that in the short term, the creativity, the spirit of imagination of Russian and African entrepreneurs will make it possible to find alternatives to deal with the inconvenience caused by these sanctions," he explained.
Moscow has often criticized Western restrictions on Russian fertilizers, which block them in European ports. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed giving these immobilized stocks in Europe to African countries in need.
Recently, the Russian company Uralchem-Uralkali Group delivered34,000 metric tons of fertilizers to Kenya for free. This is part of the firm's efforts to ease the food crisis, which has hit African countries particularly hard.
