Russia Prepares to Host Third Africa Summit in Moscow

(MENAFN) Russia is preparing to host its third Russia–Africa Summit later this year in Moscow, following a presidential decree signed this week by President Vladimir Putin formalizing the event's organization, a senior Kremlin adviser has confirmed.

Presidential Adviser Anton Kobyakov announced the plans on Thursday, a day after Putin formally authorized the summit through an executive order. Speaking as quoted by Roscongress, Kobyakov said the gathering — along with associated events held under the Russia–Africa framework — is designed to deepen ties between Moscow and the continent while charting a forward-looking course for bilateral and multilateral engagement.

"The Russia–Africa Summit and other events in the Russia–Africa format ... are intended to strengthen the comprehensive cooperation of the Russian Federation with the states of the African continent, as well as to define new contours of interaction both on a bilateral basis and within multilateral frameworks," Kobyakov was quoted as saying.

The adviser outlined an ambitious program for the summit, describing plans for an "in-depth analysis of the entire spectrum of Russia–Africa cooperation," coupled with efforts to establish long-term strategic priorities spanning politics, national security, economic development, science and technology, and cultural and humanitarian relations.

Kobyakov further emphasized that the meetings would be anchored in what he described as "the fundamental principles of mutual respect, a balanced consideration of interests, and a focus on delivering tangible benefits" for the populations of both Russia and its African partner states — framing the summit as a cornerstone of sustained strategic engagement rather than a one-off diplomatic exercise.

The upcoming Moscow gathering marks the third installment of a summit series that Russia has used to project influence across the African continent and cultivate an image as an alternative partner to Western powers.

The inaugural Russia–Africa Summit was held in October 2019 in the southern Russian city of Sochi, co-chaired by Putin and then-African Union chair and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The landmark event drew leaders from dozens of African nations and centered on expanding trade flows, unlocking investment, and building political cooperation between Russia and the continent.

The second summit convened in St. Petersburg in July 2023, hosted jointly by Putin and Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who held the African Union chairmanship at the time. That session brought Russian and African heads of state together to advance discussions on economic partnerships, energy collaboration, and food security — issues that had taken on heightened urgency in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine and the resulting global grain supply disruptions.

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