Russia And Africa: Building The Future Together – OpEd
The Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry has hosted an international conference under the theme “Russia and Africa: Building the Future Together” in preparation for the second Russia-Africa summit scheduled for 2022. It was also part of the activities marking the Africa Day – May 25.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov gave an opening message, stressing the noticeable intensification of cooperation between Russia and African countries.
The conference participants discussed a wide range of issues of Russian-African cooperation in the spheres of economy, science, education, innovation and humanitarian interaction. Promising proposals were voiced to deepen Russia’s partnership with African countries, primarily in areas of priority for their interests.
These initiatives to fill Russian-African cooperation, in particular, concerning infrastructure projects, the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with new threats and challenges, these are put forward and to be considered in preparation for the upcoming Russia-Africa summit. At the conference, a project of the Russia-Africa digital trade and investment platform, developed by one of the Russian companies, was presented.
In line with the given direction of the discussion, the conference participants paid special attention to the exchange of views on the creation of “road maps” in the trade, economic, scientific, educational and humanitarian spheres of cooperation.According to the conference participants, the most popular and promising areas of interaction are transport infrastructure, investment, innovation, training of specialists for African countries on the basis of Russian universities and research centers.
The conference was attended by the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and African countries, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Mikhail Bogdanov, representatives of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and other interested departments, leading Russian economic operators, academic circles, the public and media, and the diplomatic corps.
The African Union Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining Albert Muchanga made a video message. Ambassadors of African countries accredited in Moscow attended and spoke at the conference. All proposals voiced at the forum will be summarized and presented for consideration in preparation for the forthcoming second Russia-Africa summit next year.
