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Relations between Russia and Africa have been developing actively, thanks in part to the personal involvement of national leaders, including within BRICS, of which two African nations, South Africa and Ethiopia, are already a part, and on the wings of unprecedented growth in trade, 40% as of the end of 2024. In spite of all this, the results continue to lag behind expected indicators, with potential for further growth high.

The continued development of wide-ranging interaction with the countries of Africa is a priority of Russian foreign policy. Every branch of the Russian government is working to deepen cooperation and strengthen ties with its African peers.

On her recent trip to Ethiopia, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko met with national leaders to discuss the prospect for expanding economic, humanitarian, and cultural cooperation, with agreements signed on the implementation of joint projects. The Russian business community has shown a strong interest in developing projects in Ethiopia, especially in pharmaceuticals and energy. Plans for the immediate future include the modernization of a hydroelectric power plant built by Soviet engineers, the possibility of involving Rosatom State Corporation in the creation of a high-tech nuclear power industry centre, and even a nuclear power plant driven by Russian technology. Great cooperation has been planned in agriculture and includes a project to build a mineral fertilizer production facility and organize an agricultural cluster using Russian technological know-how.

“The world is quickly becoming more multipolar, more equitable, and it will have to consider the interests of the people of Africa. I believe Africa will be a pillar of this multipolar world, because it is developing very fast and has incredible potential and vast mineral resources.  And most importantly, the nations of Africa have begun to acknowledge their own independence and the great price they paid for this independence, and no one will succeed in depriving them of it again,” Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko said in an interview with Sputnik News following the Federation Council delegation’s visit to Ethiopia at the end of February 2025.

To unlock the potential in this collaboration, effective tools and mechanisms must be developed for attracting investment, and commodity nomenclature must be diversified to increase trade and raise cooperation between Russia and Africa to fundamentally new levels.

Events facilitating trade and investment play an important role in this task. Forums, exhibitions, and other government and business platforms for dialogue create opportunity for Russian and African companies to discuss important projects, share experience, and network. They help identify promising areas of cooperation and develop specific mechanisms for implementing joint initiatives that involve all stakeholders.

“The Roscongress Foundation is an essential part of the organization and management of important business events aimed at strengthening economic ties and attracting investment within the national strategy to deepen relations with Africa. Russia–Africa events, Russia’s chairmanship of BRICS in 2024, and presentations at major business events in Russia and abroad have all contributed to the establishment of business contacts, presentation of investment opportunities, and implementation of joint projects across sectors.  The Foundation has also been a big supporter of the development of the tourism industry, organized events dedicated to the topic of food security, and helped strengthen cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Africa,” Adviser to the Russian President and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for Russia–Africa events Anton Kobyakov said.

Russia–Africa events have done the most for attracting attention to far-reaching multilateral partner relations, especially the Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum, and the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, all vital mechanisms for planning, coordinating, and implementing collaborative Russia–Africa initiatives.

In his speech to the State Duma during Government Hour in February 2025 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “Cooperation between Russia and Africa has grown considerably stronger. The first ever Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum was held in November 2024 by decision of the Second Russia–Africa Summit, held in St. Petersburg in 2023, and proved very beneficial. We continue to work with our African friends on the practical implementation of the Summit and Ministerial Conference agreements. We are working to unlock the vast potential that awaits our collaboration with Africa, a partnership that experienced years of contraction following the collapse of the Soviet Union. After dealing with other priorities, we have now turned once more towards our African friends, whom we value, and who have valued our contribution to their liberation from colonial oppression. The outlook is very, very promising. We must capitalize on the opportunity without delay.”

The business programmes at international events organized by the Roscongress Foundation tend to focus on priority sectors like energy, agriculture, and tourism. The agreement reached by the Foundation during Russian Energy Week 2023 to work together with the African Energy Chamber have unlocked new opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector through the organization of joint events and the exchange of experience. In November 2024, the Foundation was a strategic partner of African Energy Week and presented business projects at the central platform in Cape Town. The partnership agreement signed with the African Tourism Board at the Let’s Travel! Russian Tourism Forum in 2024 has created the conditions necessary for business, commercial, and recreational tourism to develop.