Valdai Discussion Club's Russia-Africa conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, marks a significant step in Moscow's engagement with the continent, a participant of the session, Maya Nikolskaya, Junior Researcher at MGIMO University's Institute of International Studies, told Sputnik Africa in an interview.
"It is indeed the first time a Russian think tank in international relations and political science is organizing a conference or an event in general in an African country," she said. "That means that we are bringing some of our ideas to share to the African soil. But we are also ready to hear out from our African partners."
She emphasized the alignment between Russia's multipolar vision and African values: "If you think about the great philosophical ideas that have shaped Africa in the 20th and 21st centuries... like Ubuntu, like Ujamaa, African socialism, you will see that they are all actually based on some degree of multipolarity when you talk about the collective spirit, about how all people and all states must therefore be equal and treat each other equally, and how no one should stand out just because they want to dominate the world."
The conference, which brings together approximately 40 experts from Russia and East Africa, signals a commitment to collaborative partnerships, moving beyond a top-down approach.
"We are very keen on listening to Africa, rather than imposing some of the structures, institutions, and rules of our own... We want to make rules together. We want to be fine-tuned to the needs and wants of the continent," Nikolskaya stated.
According to the researcher, the event highlights a shift in Russian investment strategies, with a growing interest in African markets for high-tech industries.
The relaunch of the Mkuju River uranium mining project by Rosatom in Tanzania exemplifies this trend, promising a new source of income for the country through uranium exports. It also highlights the potential for a nuclear power plant to address ongoing power shortages.