News

Experts to Discuss Logistics Routes between Russia and Africa

The Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum business programme’s look at ‘The New Global Economy’ will kick off on 27 July with a panel discussion on ‘New Russian-African Logistics Routes’. Speaking at the event are Aide to the President of the Russian Federation and Secretary of the State Council of the Russian Federation Igor Levitin, Acting Head of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation Ruslan Davydov, Chairman of the Board of FESCO Andrey Severilov, President of the Russian Academy of Transport Alexander Misharin, and Chairman of the Board of Novostal-M Ivan Demchenko. The discussion will be moderated by Chairman of Delovaya Rossiya (Business Russia) Alexey Repik.

Many factors are involved in an increase in trade and economic turnover between Russia and Africa, but central to all is logistics. Passenger and cargo transportation have a significant impact on the development of co-operation in the widest range of spheres – from tourism to the real economy. Russian experience creating large-scale multilateral projects is extensive. One such example is the International North–South Transport Corridor, which involves 12 different nations. Cargo traffic through the INSTC is projected to reach 41 million tonnes by 2030. Objective prerequisites mean it would be possible for Africa to join this large-scale project.

“A fundamental redistribution of trade flows to the East and South are taking place right now, and the outlook for Africa is good,” Acting Head of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation Ruslan Davydov said.

Participants of the panel discussion will look at problems related to the establishment of logistical routes between Russia and Africa and answer questions about how to build a more efficient system of logistics flows to ensure trade and economic turnover between Russia and Africa continue to grow.

The panel discussion will get underway at 09:00 in pavilion G, conference hall G5.

The Second Summit and Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

Event website: summitafrica.ru

“We highly value the results of our joint work at the summit. I am sure the achieved results are creating a good foundation for further deepening the Russia-Africa partnership in the interests of our nations’ prosperity and wellbeing.”

President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Putin

The Russia–Africa Summit, which is taking place in Sochi on 23–24 October 2019, encapsulates the historically friendly relations between the African continent and the Russian Federation. This Summit carries great significance as it is the first of its kind to emerge during a period of major global and international transformations. In response to the aspirations of the people it is representing, the Summit intends to build a comprehensive framework for expanding Russian–African relations into broader horizons of joint cooperation across different fields.

The African nations and Russia share a common understanding of international relations, based on the principles of respect for the rule of international law, equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Both sides affirm their commitment to support multilateral actions to oppose new international threats, be they terrorism and extremism in all their forms, or declining growth rates. The two sides share a firm conviction regarding the importance of developing trade flows and supporting mutual investment in such a way as to ensure security, peace and development for the African and Russian people.

African countries have huge potential and opportunities that will allow them, once efforts to streamline their economies have been achieved, to emerge as real global players. In recent years, the nations of this continent have achieved major successes spanning the political, economic, social and administrative spheres. Africa has flourished in terms of growth over the past decade, reaching a continent-wide growth rate of 3.55% in 2018.

The African Union Summit, which was held in Niger in July 2019, continued the efforts of the African countries and saw the African Continental Free Trade Agreement come into force, along with its operational instruments. The agreement is one of the key objectives of Agenda 2063, an African development strategy that has been created to address the African people’s desire for prosperity and decent living standards.

These successes are opening up wide-ranging prospects for cooperation between African countries and the Russian Federation, and confirm the determination of African governments and their people to cooperate with multiple partners in order to establish mutually beneficial relations.

With this in mind, we express our hopes that the Russia–Africa Summit will help in the establishment of constructive strategic relations, based on partnership between two sides across various fields, and in the service of fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the African people and their friends in Russia.

President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Abdelfattah ALSISI