Russia-Africa: Preparing for the Second Summit in 2022

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On 30 June 2021, Sergey Krasilnikov, Vice President and Managing Director of the RSPP International Bilateral Cooperation Directorate, attended the third meeting of the Coordination Council under the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The meeting was held in preparation for the second Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for 2022. During the discussion, it was proposed to consider themes and concepts for the Summit programme, organisational and financial arrangements, the list of events, and also to discuss possible sources of funding and targets for the summit.

The meeting opened with a welcome address by Vsevolod Tkachenko, Director of the Africa Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The keynote speakers were:

  • Oleg Ozerov, Head of the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Ambassador-at-Large;
  • Alexandra Ogneva, Deputy Director of the Roscongress Foundation;
  • Anna Belyaeva, Executive Director of the Association of Economic Cooperation with African States;
  • Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Oleg Ozerov, in his address, outlined the main thematic aspects proposed by the African side for discussion during the Russia-Africa summit, namely Russia’s involvement in Africa's industrialisation, major infrastructure development projects, cooperation in energy, agriculture, mining, digitalisation and technological cooperation, including involvement in the Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme for the African Union. Leaders of several African states also stressed the importance of joining efforts in combating pandemics, developing cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals and in the production and localisation of Russian vaccines in African countries.

The Russia-Africa summit is tentatively scheduled for November 2022, to be held in one of the African states. The forum's events will be grouped together, as during the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum.

The participants agreed to finalise the above-mentioned issues, and to approve the main projects of the Russia-Africa Summit at the next meeting of the Coordination Council.


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