President Vladimir Putin will attend the third Russia-Africa summit in Moscow on October 28–29, where he will give a speech during a plenary session. The summit will take place at the Grand Kremlin Palace and be co-chaired by African Union leader and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said. Of the 54 African countries, 48 have confirmed their attendance, and 22 of these will be represented by their heads of state, he said. At the previous such summit, in St. Petersburg in 2023, heads of state represented 17 African countries out of 48. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has described Western pressure on African governments to stay away from tomorrow’s summit. If true, it has proven a dismal failure for its authors.
Also in attendance will be heads of regional African organizations: the African Union, African Continental Free Trade Area, East African Community, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Southern African Development Community, Economic Community of Central African States, Economic Community of West African States, Maghreb Arab Union, and the African Export-Import Bank.
The Kremlin announcement explained: “The focus will be on the further development of Russia’s multifaceted ties with African nations in politics, trade and the economy, investment, science and technology, and humanitarian and cultural affairs. The summit is expected to adopt a final declaration, the next Russia–Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2027–2029, and the Declaration of Cooperation in the Civilian Application of Artificial Intelligence Technologies. A substantial package of intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements covering cooperation between Russia and Africa in a wide range of areas is expected to be signed as well…. In addition, Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting with leaders of Africa’s regional organizations. The President of Russia will hold a series of bilateral talks with heads of African states on the sidelines of the summit.”
Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed “the participants in the international conference – Spiritual Bridges: Russia and Africa. A Dialogue for Peace and Creation, organized by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation. He told them that “Russia is deeply committed to Africa’s emergence as one of the influential centers of a multipolar world. We firmly uphold the inalienable right of African nations to determine their own paths and models of development. Today, Russian-African cooperation is strategic in nature and spans a broad range of areas, from politics and the economy to education and culture. The third Russia-Africa Summit, which opens tomorrow in Moscow, will undoubtedly serve to strengthen this partnership further.”
It is expected that closer links with BRICS and the Eurasian Economic Union will be assessed by the African leaders and that fertilizer supplies, farm machinery, local production, and the financial and logistical obstacles facing food trade are to be addressed, along with peaceful nuclear energy as another priority. Rosatom is building four reactors at Egypt’s El Dabaa nuclear power plant and has signed roadmaps to advance planned nuclear power projects in Ethiopia and Rwanda. Its cooperation with Rwanda also includes a proposed nuclear science and technology center for research, specialist training, and applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry.
