Russia and African countries are calling for the formation of a just multipolar world order based on the principles of equality of countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a reception in honor of the participants of the Russia-Africa summit.
"Russia and African countries are now jointly calling for the formation of a just multipolar world order based on the principles of sovereign equality of countries, non-interference in their internal affairs, respect for the right of peoples to determine their own fate," he said.
Putin said Russia will continue to make "a real contribution to resolving current crises and preventing new hotbeds of tension on the continent." Russia will also help "in the fight against terrorism and extremism, against pandemics and famine, in addressing issues of environmental, food and information security," the president said.
The second Russia-Africa summit is taking place at St. Petersburg’s Expoforum convention center from July 27-28. An economic and humanitarian forum is running in parallel to the event. Like the previous summit, the upcoming one will be held under the motto For Peace, Security and Development. The Roscongress Foundation is the summit’s organizer while TASS is the summit’s photo hosting agency and media partner. TASS is also holding the second Russia-Africa Media Forum
Ex-Austrian FM Kneissl Hails Russia-Africa Summit as Outshining EU's 'Negative Approach
The second Russia-Africa Summit, aimed at improving rapport between Moscow and African states, kicked off in St. Petersburg on July 27, 2023.
The event, which attracted nearly 50 delegations from African countries and regional and sub-regional integration associations, is expected to help enhance economic, cultural and security cooperation between Russia and African states, as well as to aid the continent in attaining “food sovereignty.”
Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl who attended the plenary session at the summit, told Sputnik about the “good atmosphere” at the event and about “lots of very solid projects” being discussed there, with everybody at the summit “getting along in a very smooth and cool way.”
“Plus, I enjoyed very much listening to Dilma Rousseff, the former Brazilian president who was appointed director of the BRICS bank. She elaborated a lot on this watershed line that we are currently observing, which is called de-dollarization,” she added.
Comparing Russia’s approach in dealing with African states with the approach adopted by the European Union, Kneissl said that the EU seems to care only about “migration” and, unlike Russia, does not appear to be interested in engaging in business projects with African nations as equals.
“Now the EU is concluding contracts with Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco. But it's a very negative approach. It's something like 'you keep your refugees and we will then do some sort of business.' Because it is not real business. It's not a true equal footing business,” said Kneissl who was involved in the EU-Africa Summit of 2018.
Regarding the activity of Russian companies on the African continent, Kneissl pointed out that “they are now fully engaged” there, pointing out that, while it was “mostly about oil and gas” in the past, now their interests have also expanded to “metals.”
“It's uranium for Rosatom in Namibia. It is metals for the new age artificial intelligence and all whatever you need in that segment. So I would say companies are quicker than other institutions such as universities, which are lagging behind,” she remarked. “But the companies had the presence, are present, and I think they are simply enlarging their cooperation.”
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