Russian President Vladimir Putin has written an article titled "Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future," ahead of the second Russia-Africa Summit and the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, scheduled for July 27-28 in St. Petersburg. In this article, published on the Kremlin website and translated into six languages including Arabic, English, Spanish, German, Portuguese and French, Putin expresses his vision for the development of Russian-African relations and outlines areas of cooperation and priority joint work for the coming decades of the 21st century.
Putin acknowledges the upcoming summit's importance and its aim to adopt a comprehensive declaration and other documents. He delves into the historical ties between the USSR and Russia with African countries, emphasizing Moscow's unwavering commitment to the principle of "African Solution to African Problems" and its continuous support for African peoples in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression. Stressing the significance of the current partnership between Russia and Africa, Putin notes the emergence of a new, fairer multipolar world order.
The article covers various aspects of trade and economic cooperation, with Putin highlighting the growth of mutual trade turnover between Russia and Africa. The Russian president specifically addresses issues related to food supplies to Africa, including the situation around the grain deal. He confirms Russia's ability to replace Ukrainian grain both commercially and free-of-charge, citing this year's expected record harvest as a contributing factor. Despite sanctions, Russia is determined to continue organizing grain, food, and fertilizer supplies to Africa.
Furthermore, Putin touches on other important areas of cooperation, such as personnel training, humanitarian efforts, culture, sports and media exchanges. He also underscores the significance of developing relations with the African Union and other regional integration associations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS