Addis Ababa, July 26, 2023 (FBC) – The second Russia-Africa Summit will take place in St Petersburg’s Expo Forum from 27-28 July 2023, with leaders from the majority of African countries expected to attend.
The Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum due to take place alongside it will provide a platform for business meetings and includes a programme of more than 30 panel sessions and thematic events.
It is to be recall that the Summit had originally been scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa in October 2022, but was postponed by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin last July, most likely due to complications emerging from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The rescheduled summit was due to last four days, but on 21 June Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that it will be limited to two due to “fine-tuning” of the programme.
The event marks “a serious first step towards our economic and political return to Africa,” commented Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov on 19 June.
The organisers, Roscongress, describe the Summit as the “highest-level and largest-scale event in Russia-Africa relations” with the aim of bringing about a “new level of mutually beneficial partnership” between Russia and the continent.
“The goal of the event is to promote efforts to strengthen comprehensive and equal cooperation between Russia and African nations across all areas of society including politics, security, economic relations, science and technology, and the cultural and humanitarian spheres,” say the organizers.
Russia said on Tuesday that 49 of 54 African countries will take part in the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit to be held in Saint Petersburg on July 27-28.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said that 17 countries have confirmed their participation at the level of the head of state.
“As of today, 49 countries out of 54 have confirmed their participation,” he said.
There will be numerous bilateral meetings, he said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to meet with every leader of African states.
Ushakov said Putin will meet with the leaders of Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and also with the chair of the African Union Moussa Faki Mahamat.
According to the official, Russia has been preparing very hard and persistently for the upcoming summit.
The first Russia-Africa Summit took place on 23–24 October in Sochi, a resort on Russia’s Black Sea coast. Held under the motto “For Peace, Security and Development”, it was co-hosted by President Vladimir Putin and President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi of Egypt.