African officials to attend first ministerial forum in Russia

The event is a step toward improving Moscow’s relations with countries on the continent, according to its organizers

The first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa partnership forum, which takes place next month in Sochi, will bring together senior officials from key African ministries, the African Union Commission, regional associations, and business executives with their Russian counterparts, the organizing committee has announced.

The event will focus on collaboration in a variety of areas, including defense, trade, education, healthcare, and food security, according to the Roscongress Foundation.

The two-day event, from November 9 to 10, is being held to implement decisions reached at the second Russia-Africa Summit held last summer in Saint Petersburg, Roscongress said in a press release on Tuesday.

“Participants will discuss cooperation in such areas as security, economics, [and] humanitarian interaction, including international information security, combating terrorism, preventing an arms race in space, trade, economics, and investment partnerships,” it stated.

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“Special attention will be paid to cooperation between countries of the African continent and the Eurasian Economic Union,” the foundation added.

Moscow has worked to strengthen its relations with Africa in recent years, as several of the continent’s states review their ties with former colonial powers. Western nations, including the US and France, which have suffered military setbacks in the Sahel region, have expressed concern about Russia’s growing presence, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The three former French colonies have struck security deals with Moscow to help fight a deadly jihadist insurgency that American and French troops could not defeat during a decade-long counterterrorism mission.

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Anton Kobyakov, executive secretary of the organizing committee for Russia-Africa events, says the Sochi gathering will be an “important step” in deepening ties between Moscow and countries from the continent.

He also noted that Russia-Africa relations are at a “critical stage in their development.”

“We are seeing a high level of cooperation in several areas: from the implementation of economic and humanitarian projects to joint work within the scientific and technical complex,” the official stated.