The first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, which took place on November 9-10, brought together 54 delegations and 45 ministers from African countries, with over 1,500 people in attendance. The event also gathered the leadership of the African Union Commission, as they discussed key issues in the evolving relationship between Russia and Africa.
The two-day conference hosted 19 panel sessions and thematic events focused on key areas of cooperation, including security, economics, humanitarian aid, capacity building, digitalization, education, diplomacy, healthcare, and information security.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the participants of the Russia-Africa Ministerial Conference have adopted a declaration with new development tasks for the next third Russia-Africa summit, which will be presented to the Russian president.
Looking ahead, Russia aims to increase the use of friendly country currencies for settlements with African countries, aiming to reach 90% by 2030, Russian presidential advisor and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Russia-Africa Ministerial Conference Anton Kobyakov noted on the sidelines of the event. This shift towards independent financial infrastructure is a key part of Russia's strategic partnership with Africa, he added.
Check out Sputnik Africa's photo gallery from the inaugural meeting of a new international format!