Saint Petersburg plans to expand cooperation with African countries as it prepares for the Russia–Africa Summit, the city's governor Alexander Beglov stated.
"St. Petersburg intends to develop cooperation with African countries on a wide range of issues. Among the most promising areas is the design and construction of water supply and sanitation treatment facilities. This is important for many African countries, and we have a lot of experience in this area. [...] The possibility of holding joint cultural and sports events with our sister city in Egypt, Alexandria, is also being considered," Beglov said.
In addition, it is planned to sign agreements on the development of cooperation in the field of tourism with specialized organizations from Morocco, Kenya, Namibia, Egypt, Tunisia, as well as Angola regarding tourism education on the sidelines of the summit.
Moreover, a draft agreement with the cities of South Africa (Cape Town, Durban, Hermanus) and Benin (Bohicon) on the one hand and with Saint Petersburg on the other another is being prepared within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
The second Russia–Africa Summit will be held in St. Petersburg from July 26 to 29.
The first such summit was held in Sochi in 2019 and resulted in the outlining of a number of goals and objectives for further cooperation between Russia and the continent in such spheres as politics, security, economics, science, technology, culture, and humanitarian field.