The Roscongress Foundation launched the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum magazine

In the run-up to the Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum to be held on 27–28 July 2023 in St. Petersburg, the Roscongress Foundation has published the official event magazine. The publication is available in Russian, English, and French. Its electronic version is available on the Forum's website.

The central theme of the magazine is the relations between Russia and Africa in the new world order. The programme article, prepared by Irina Abramova, Director, Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, notes that the modern world is passing through a stage of the deepest political, economic, humanitarian, and very dangerous military crisis. However, it is already obvious that the countries that were considered "the world periphery", including African states, are accelerating their development and gaining geopolitical weight. International relations are undergoing a rapid transformation from the legacy of colonialism to sovereignty and development. And Russia is playing a key role in this. "Russia and Africa have both the desire and opportunities to bring our cooperation to a strategic level in the interests of development and prosperity of our peoples," the article says.

The magazine describes the projects of Gazprom and ROSATOM, Uralchem and Uralkali, LUKOIL, and other major Russian companies being implemented on the African continent as illustrative examples of such cooperation. It is important that among them there are projects not only in the economic, but also in the humanitarian sphere. Readers of the magazine will also learn about the initiatives of young African entrepreneurs who are members of the Friends for Leadership international network.

In turn, the theme of the struggle against colonialism is developed in the article about a unique thematic exposition to be held at the Forum. It is dedicated to the role of the USSR and Russia in the development of independent African states. Readers will see vivid evidence of Russian–African friendship throughout the 20th century – important archive documents and live photographs selected by the Svyaz' Epoh Fund for Support of Inter-Museum Communication Space and Cultural and Educational Programmes, which acts as an exhibition operator.

The city, in which the Forum will take place, was not left out either. The article entitled "Exotic St. Petersburg" contains not only fascinating facts about Russia's cultural capital, but also about the role that natives of Africa have played in its history.

The pages of the magazine also contain useful information about the Forum's thematic spaces, a convenient venue navigator, necessary contacts, addresses, and the main events of the business, cultural, and sports programmes.

“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