- Sputnik Africa, 1920
Second Russia–Africa Summit
The Second Summit Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum will take place in St. Petersburg from July 27-28.The First Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum was held in the Russian resort city of Sochi in October 2019.

Confidence & Determination: What Second Russia–Africa Summit Brought

© Sputnik . Pavel Bednyakov / Go to the mediabankMeeting of Vladimir Putin and Macky Sall on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa Summit
Meeting of Vladimir Putin and Macky Sall on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa Summit - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 29.07.2023
Subscribe
The second Russia–Africa Summit, the work of which ended yesterday in Saint Petersburg, brought together nearly 6,000 participants and journalists from around a hundred countries. Sputnik takes stock of the wide-scale event.
Russian President Vladimir Putin "highly appreciated" the results of the Russia–Africa Summit, while hoping that they will "further deepen the Russian-African partnership in the interest of the prosperity and well-being of our peoples".

Previously, the Russian leader had pledged to supply "in the coming months" up to 50,000 tonnes of cereals to Zimbabwe, Somalia, Eritrea, Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso. "Our country can replace Ukrainian cereals commercially but also free of charge," he said.

For his part, Oleg Ozerov, diplomat at the head of the secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum and roving ambassador of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said that Moscow had erased $23 billion in debts of African countries. According to him, the problem of the debt of African countries towards Russia is settled at 90%.

Among the unusual gifts given as part of the summit stands out the Mi-38 helicopter offered by Vladimir Putin to his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Publicity of Zimbabwe, gives an exclusive interview to Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the second Russia-Africa Summit on July 27, 2023.  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 27.07.2023
Second Russia–Africa Summit
'Information is Power': Zimbabwean Minister on Russia-Africa Media Cooperation

More than 90 agreements signed

Within the framework of the Russia–Africa Summit and Economic Forum, a total of 92 agreements have been signed, according to Russian Presidential Advisor Anton Kobyakov. Among the most important documents are the memoranda of understanding between Russia and the African Union as well as between the Eurasian Economic Community and the AU Commission.
At the same time, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced the signing with the Russian side of an agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant in his country. The volume of contracts whose values do not constitute trade secrets amounts to more than 1,000 billion rubles, or more than 10 billion US dollars.
In addition, during the plenary session of the summit, Vladimir Putin made it known that Moscow had concluded military-technical cooperation agreements "with more than 40 African states".
Summit participants notably developed an Action Plan of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum for 2023-2026 which outlines the main lines of cooperation between Moscow and African countries.
The 2nd Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 29.07.2023
Second Russia–Africa Summit
Russia–Africa Forum Outcomes: Action Plan 2023–2026

Towards a "more just world order"

In the final declaration of the summit, the participating countries underlined that they remained opposed to any form of "aggressive nationalism, neo-Nazism, neo-fascism, Afrophobia, Russophobia", "racism and racial discrimination as well as discrimination based on religion, belief or origin, xenophobia and related intolerance".
The parties agreed to "strengthen the role of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum as the cornerstone of Russia-Africa multilateral cooperation" as well as "enhance equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between the Russian Federation and African States in order to contribute tо the establishment of a more just, balanced and stable multipolar world order".
The signatories of the declaration also insist that "the principle of sovereign equality of States is crucial for the stability of international relations".
They further pledge to combine efforts "to ensure long-term food and energy security of the African continent" and to "foster the economic, trade and investment partnership". Particular emphasis is placed on the use of national currencies to trade.
Earlier, the Russian leader noted that the African continent was becoming a new center of power and "everyone will have to take this objective reality into account".
The second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 29.07.2023
Second Russia–Africa Summit
Second Russia–Africa Summit: Full Final Declaration

"If Russia wins, Africa wins"

The holding of the second Russia–Africa Summit won praise from the guests. Mozambican Trade Minister Silvino Moreno said he was "impressed" by the organization of the event. The President of the African Union Azali Assoumani also hailed the "optimal conditions" created by the Russian side for the holding of the Summit and thanked it "for this warm and fraternal welcome". He stressed that the success of the summit was a success for Africans too.

"If Russia wins, Africa wins," he said.

Newsfeed
0