The Russian President will meet the leaders of the main regional organizations and give a gala reception.
MOSCOU, 28 October /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin launches a series of major events at the Russia-Africa Summit.
Participation in the 3rd Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, a meeting with the leaders of the main regional organizations and a gala reception hosted by the Russian President are scheduled for 28 October.
As President Yuri Ushakov said, 48 of the 54 African countries will participate in the current summit, 22 of which will be at the level of Heads of State. In addition to Vladimir Putin, current President of the African Union, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye will co-chair various demonstrations.
The theme of the Economic and Humanitarian Forum is “To develop mutually beneficial cooperation and the potential of each African country”. The Russian President will also participate in the first plenary session.
As Ushakov said, Putin will address the state of trade and economic relations between Russia and African countries in his speech. It will place particular emphasis on sovereign and equitable development issues, as well as on the equitable access of African countries to modern resources, fertilizers and technology.
At the end of the plenary session, Vladimir Putin, accompanied by African leaders, will visit an exhibition at Gostiny Dvor. This interactive exhibition will present, in addition to information on ongoing Russian-African projects, the latest innovations developed by Russia, which Moscow wishes to share with its partners on the continent.
Programme at the Kremlin
The programme of events will not be limited to the plenary session of the Forum. In the St Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Palace of the Kremlin, the Head of State will receive representatives of the main African regional organizations who arrived in Moscow.
The traditional meeting should bring together representatives of the African Union, the African Continental Free Trade Area, the East African Community, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Economic Community of West African States, the Arab Maghreb Union and the African Import and Export Bank.
A gala reception in honour of the Russian President is also planned, which Vladimir Putin will traditionally host in the Kremlin’s Faceted Hall. Since the Soviet era, such dinners highlight the exceptional nature of the meetings and the warmest relations with the host countries.
Putin will continue the series of bilateral meetings started the previous day. The Forum of Gas Exporting Countries summit was held in Moscow on 27 October. After meeting with his counterparts in a multilateral framework, Putin held separate bilateral meetings with several of them, including Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, Emir of Qatar Tamim ben Hamad Al Thani, President of the Republic of Mozambique Daniel Francisco Chapo, President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and President of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi.
The programme will continue over the next two days. It will include plenary meetings of the Russia-Africa Summit and the continuation of bilateral discussions.
About the Summit
This is the third Russia-Africa summit and the first in Moscow. Previous meetings took place in St Petersburg in the summer of 2023 and the first series took place in Sochi in autumn 2019.
For decades, relations between Russia and African countries have been marked by a unique atmosphere of friendship. Moscow, unlike the Western countries that are trying to maintain their influence on the continent, has never been a colonial power and, as a result, is free from prejudice towards its African partners. It can thus interact with them equally and with respect, with a view to a mutually beneficial partnership.