Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to commence a series of international meetings in St. Petersburg with esteemed guests attending the upcoming Russia-Africa forum and summit on July 27-28. Among the notable figures are Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Chief of the BRICS New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff.
Bilateral meetings
On Wednesday, Putin will hold talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is visiting Russia on an official trip. The leaders will hold discussions as part of their respective delegations and later share a joint breakfast. This meeting will mark a continuation of their previous encounter during the first Russia-Africa summit in 2019, where they celebrated the progressive development of relations between their nations and emphasized cooperation for peace on the African continent.
In the evening, Putin will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The initial part of the meeting will take place in the presence of journalists before continuing over dinner. This meeting comes after the leaders' phone conversation in March 2023, and el-Sisi's previous acknowledgment of Russia as a reliable partner for Africa's development.
Putin will also have a conversation with Dilma Rousseff, the President of the BRICS New Development Bank. Rousseff assumed the position in March 2023, and this will be her first meeting with Putin in her current capacity. Their last interaction occurred during the BRICS summit in Ufa back in 2015.
Russia-Africa summit
The preparations for the Russia-Africa summit are well underway, and Putin is actively gearing up for the event, which promises fruitful and constructive communication with African leaders. The president plans to hold individual meetings with leaders from Mozambique, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Libya, Cameroon, Senegal, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Congo. These bilateral meetings will take place in St. Petersburg over four days from July 26 to July 29.
The summit itself will feature a significant speech by Putin, assessing the current state of international relations and the pursuit of a new world order based on the principles of multipolarity and equality among independent states.
Ahead of the forum, Putin's article titled "Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future" was published. In it, he expressed eagerness to engage with African leaders and emphasized the determination to strengthen the Russian-African strategic partnership. The summit and forum decisions are anticipated to pave the way for further cooperation and development.
The second Russia-Africa summit, organized by the Roscongress Foundation, will take place at the Expoforum in St. Petersburg. The event will run under the theme "For Peace, Security and Development," alongside an economic and humanitarian forum. TASS, the photo host agency, is a media partner of the summit and forum.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS