Africa views Russia as a significant guarantor of stability and security, and Moscow is not afraid of fair competition on the continent, expressing readiness for it. This was stated by the Special Representative of the President of Russia for the Middle East and African countries, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Mikhail Bogdanov in an interview with the magazine "New Eastern Outlook".
"Russia is not afraid of fair competition and is ready for it, offering itself to Africa, primarily as a serious guarantor of stability and security, as well as providing its traditional and newly acquired competencies, sometimes unique," - Bogdanov said. - "Judging by the reaction of African partners, in the Sahel-Sahara zone and more broadly across the continent, there is growing demand for the assistance provided by our country."
He pointed out that interest in Africa worldwide is currently high and constantly growing because it is the "continent of the future" with "truly inexhaustible natural and human resources," and also represents an "increasingly lucrative and, in many respects, high-margin market."
"Therefore, competition among external players for a 'place under the African sun' is serious, and in addition to traditional contenders represented by the 'collective West,' more and more representatives of the 'global East and South' are participating: China, India, Turkey, Gulf states, Southeast Asia, Latin America. As you can see, the list is long and tends to expand," the Deputy Foreign Minister added.
The special representative emphasized that Russia categorically rejects attempts by the West to dictate to Africans with whom they can do business and with whom they cannot. Fortunately, he noted, Africans themselves are increasingly decisively rejecting such neocolonial tendencies.
"In building our cooperation with African countries, we proceed from the principle that the African continent is not an arena of confrontation between major international players, but a new, growing, diverse, distinctive, global center of power," - Bogdanov pointed out. - "Russia is ready to actively assist in strengthening the existing potential of African countries, without imposing any political conditions and offering unsolicited advice - this is our competitive advantage."
According to him, a priority for Russia is to support the strengthening of the sovereignty of African states and ensuring the national security of continent's countries. "Advancing in these directions, taking into account the cultural and historical characteristics of African countries, in contrast to the Western policy of neocolonialism, became the underlying idea of the St. Petersburg Summit, doctrinal consolidation of the common attitude towards the continent as a forming center of a multipolar world," he noted.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS