Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined several cooperation proposals for African countries during a visit to an exhibition on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum. The proposals included sharing digital technologies developed by Russia for tax management, customs services, and administration digitization. Putin stated that some partner countries had significantly increased their tax revenues by adopting these tools, although he did not specify which countries.
Putin highlighted tourism as a development lever for African economies, calling for increased Russian tourist flows to the continent. He emphasized the diversity of African cultures and natural riches, drawing a comparison with Turkey, which welcomes seven million Russian tourists annually, generating $12 billion for its economy. The Russian president aims to boost economic ties between Russia and Africa through tourism.
The Russian president also discussed cooperation opportunities in artificial intelligence, particularly in optimizing transport services. He cited the use of AI in the taxi sector to improve routes, reduce wait times, and enhance travel tracking. Additionally, Putin mentioned Russia's experience in operating small floating nuclear power plants, with one plant producing energy in the Arctic since 2020.
In the energy sector, Putin noted the interest of Turkish companies in acquiring stakes in the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project in Turkey. He also mentioned the construction of large fishing and fish processing vessels, with Indonesia showing interest in these industrial equipment. This could represent a new area of industrial cooperation between Russia and African or other countries.
Putin emphasized the importance of mastering information technologies for state sovereignty, stressing that countries must strengthen their ability to control digital infrastructures and regulate social media operations, citing security concerns. These proposals were made during a visit to an exhibition on the margins of the Russia-Africa Forum.
The Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum brings together political and economic leaders to discuss cooperation prospects between Moscow and African countries. The forum aims to strengthen economic and humanitarian ties between Russia and Africa.
Key areas of cooperation proposed by Putin include digital technology sharing, tourism development, and industrial technologies.
Key points
- Vladimir Putin proposes sharing Russian digital technologies with African countries.
- Putin sees tourism as a development opportunity for African economies.
- Russia is willing to cooperate with Africa in artificial intelligence and industrial technologies.
