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Republic of Karelia Preparing for Russia–Africa

The Head of Karelia Artur Parfenchikov spoke about the Republic’s preparations for the Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

According to Artur Parfenchikov, despite the difficult geopolitical situation, the Republic of Karelia continues its trade and economic cooperation with 17 states of the African continent, including Egypt, Madagascar, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Algeria, Morocco and others. Cooperation with the Northern Cape province of South Africa is being worked out. In early March, Mr. Moses Kizige, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uganda to the Russian Federation, visited Karelia. Following the meetings, the Embassy of Uganda intends to assist the Government of the Republic of Karelia in organizing business missions of Karelian enterprises to the country in order to establish new mutually beneficial joint projects. Cooperation in the field of education with Petrozavodsk State University is also planned.

“In the current climate, where Western countries have refused to cooperate, we have concentrated our main efforts on finding new, as well as developing existing links with friendly countries on the African continent, in the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. We see great prospects here. I am confident that the Russia–Africa Summit will be a good impetus for further cooperation and will ensure an increase in trade,” emphasized the Head of Karelia.

Russian regions are actively preparing for the Second Russia–Africa Summit and the Economic and Humanitarian Forum to be held in St Petersburg from 26 to 29 July. The plans and objectives set by the first Russia–Africa Summit and Economic Forum are being implemented, and negotiations are underway with African countries on new joint projects.

For more information go to the official 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