Russia and Africa have adopted a new action plan for 2027-2029, following the conclusion of their third joint summit in Moscow. The plan, announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, outlines broad goals to develop Russian-African relations in areas including economy and trade. The summit, attended by 48 countries, including Mauritania, which was represented by President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, also saw the adoption of a cooperation declaration in the field of artificial intelligence.
The summit witnessed the signing of 33 documents, including government agreements, memoranda of understanding, and commercial contracts. The documents were signed by leaders of Russia and Africa, who also endorsed a declaration comprising 101 points covering various areas, including politics, security, economy, energy, education, health, culture, and climate. The declaration emphasized the need for African solutions to African problems and welcomed the African Union's initiative to "silence the guns" by 2030.
The declaration also highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation in combating the use of armed groups, drones, encrypted platforms, and digital currencies. Russia and Africa pledged to establish a permanent high-level dialogue mechanism within the partnership forum to coordinate efforts to counter terrorism, extremism, and address food and information security issues. The parties also called for a comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization.
Russia and Africa committed to developing reliable and sustainable financial settlement mechanisms for trade exchange. They also pledged to cooperate in providing affordable and reliable energy sources and rejected the detention or seizure of civilian ships without a legal basis, including those flying African flags. The declaration urged the enhancement of local mineral processing and refining and called for training medical personnel and supplying medicines and mobile laboratories to combat epidemics.
The summit also saw a call for the completion of the decolonization process in Africa and the establishment of legal mechanisms to assess and compensate for damages suffered by African countries during the colonial era. Russia and Africa have previously held two summits, the first in Sochi in 2019 and the second in St. Petersburg in 2023. The third summit has resulted in significant agreements and declarations aimed at strengthening cooperation between Russia and Africa.
The action plan adopted at the summit is expected to foster deeper economic and trade ties between Russia and Africa. The two parties have expressed their commitment to implementing the agreements and declarations signed during the summit. The outcomes of the third Russia-Africa summit are seen as a significant step towards enhancing cooperation and partnership between Russia and African countries.
The third Russia-Africa summit has concluded with a renewed commitment to cooperation and partnership between Russia and Africa. The summit's outcomes reflect the shared aspirations of Russia and African countries to strengthen their relations and address common challenges. The adoption of the 2027-2029 action plan and the cooperation declaration in artificial intelligence are expected to pave the way for deeper engagement and collaboration between Russia and Africa in the years to come.
Key points
- Russia and Africa adopt a new action plan for 2027-2029 to develop cooperation in areas including economy and trade.
- The summit saw the signing of 33 documents, including government agreements and commercial contracts.
- Russia and Africa pledged to cooperate in combating terrorism, extremism, and addressing food and information security issues.
