Third Russia – Africa Summit

Before the plennary session of the third Russia – Africa Summit
Photo: Kremlin.ru

The third Russia – Africa Summit is taking place in the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow under the chairmanship of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Chairperson of the African Union, President of the Republic of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye. The summit's motto is For Peace, Security and Development, Kremlin informs.

Representatives of almost 50 African countries are taking part in the summit, including heads of state and government as well as leaders of the continent’s integration associations.

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.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Ndayishimiye, heads of state and government, heads of delegations, colleagues, friends,

I am delighted to welcome you all to Moscow. I believe we had a productive Economic and Humanitarian Forum yesterday, and today we are moving on to the main event of the Third Russia-Africa Summit – the plenary session, held under the theme For Peace, Security and Development.

This hall has brought together representatives of virtually every country on the African continent, as well as leaders of major regional integration associations. I am confident that this clearly demonstrates Africa’s genuine interest in strengthening and further developing cooperation with Russia.

I would like to thank you all for your friendly and constructive approach and for accepting our invitation to gather here in Moscow for a broad discussion of the current state and future prospects of Russia-Africa relations across the board.

I would also like to mention that two of our colleagues attending today’s session are celebrating their birthdays. On my own behalf and on behalf of everyone present, allow me to extend my warmest birthday wishes to President of Namibia Ms Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and the head of the Chadian delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chad, Mr Ahmed Kogri. I wish you both good health, wellbeing and every success in your endeavours, dear colleagues.

I am sure you will all agree that holding regular Russia-Africa summits is of immense added value. Such summits provide a valuable opportunity to exchange views on the current state of Russian-African relations and give a genuinely powerful impetus to our multifaceted and mutually beneficial ties.

It is significant that Russia and Africa are bound by truly strong ties of friendship and close partnership. We are natural allies in building a multipolar, genuinely democratic world order – a world order free from diktat and double standards, based on respect for the norms of international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnectedness.

Allow me to recall the words of an outstanding leader of the anti-colonial movement and the first President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere. He said that independence means relying on one’s own strength. It is precisely on the basis of this approach that our country has always stood alongside you, assisted the African peoples in their struggle against colonial oppression, and selflessly supported the states of the continent in every possible way in their aspiration for freedom and genuine independence, sovereign development and the choice of their own models of political and socioeconomic systems.

I would like to emphasise that Russia has been and remains interested in seeing African countries defend their sovereignty, develop with confidence and strengthen their economies and social spheres. To achieve these objectives, we are ready to continue working closely with you in all these areas.

This naturally applies to economic cooperation. I would like to note that Russia’s trade with African states exceeded $27 billion last year. Since our previous summit, this figure has increased by 50 percent. This is a positive trend, but the true potential of our interaction is, of course, considerably greater.

Additional opportunities for increasing mutual flows of goods and capital are provided by the harmonisation of integration processes – I am referring primarily to the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a member, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

For example, the unified system of tariff preferences within the EAEU provides African exporters with significant benefits when importing goods into the Eurasian market. A total of 47 African countries are eligible for these benefits, and for 32 of them customs duties have been reduced to zero.

Many Russian companies have long been successfully implementing major investment projects in Africa, covering a wide range of sectors, including energy production, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, mining and mineral extraction, industrial cooperation, logistics, tourism and several other areas.

Russian businesses consistently demonstrate integrity, respect and good faith in their cooperation with African partners. They work on an equal footing with their partners and, rather than extracting profits as the former colonial powers once did, they do the opposite: they invest and reinvest their earnings in the development of your national economies. They share advanced technologies and expertise, make extensive use of local subcontractors, establish new production facilities and create jobs. These are not just empty words; I say this with full responsibility. Many of our colleagues here today know this from their own experience. Local contractors are actively involved in implementing major projects, and there are many other examples.

What is particularly important is that Russian companies operating in Africa take a socially responsible approach to their work. They care for the wellbeing of their employees and their families, participate in and finance important humanitarian initiatives, pay close attention to environmental issues and respect domestic political processes.

The development of economic and investment cooperation between Russia and African countries is also facilitated by the reliable and efficient mechanisms for settlements in national currencies that we have established together. Notably, the share of the ruble in trade settlements between Russia and African countries has already reached 85 percent. This helps protect our economic ties from external interference and makes them more resilient to fluctuations in the global economic and political environment.

Russia is a reliable supplier of food and agricultural products to African markets, making a tangible contribution to ensuring food security across the continent. In particular, we supplied more than 18 million tonnes of grain to Africa in 2025, followed by another 13 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2026 alone. Russian exports of mineral fertilisers amounted to approximately 1.5 million tonnes last year and have already exceeded 2.2 million tonnes this year.

Our country also annually allocates the necessary funds to the budget of the UN World Food Programme for projects supporting the agricultural sector in African countries, and regularly provides humanitarian aid free of charge to African states in need. Fundamentally, we are convinced that, through the use of modern agricultural technologies and the proper organisation of agricultural production, Africa will in the future be able not only to feed itself but also to become a major exporter of a wide range of food products, as you yourselves have noted.

Russia is ready to share its agribusiness expertise and technologies with African countries. Yesterday, my colleagues and I toured the exhibition organised as part of our forum, and you heard the proposals put forward by our colleagues, in particular from the Ministry of Agriculture, regarding joint work in this sector.

This, incidentally, applies not only to agriculture but to virtually all other sectors of the economy. For example, with the involvement of Russian businesses, promising initiatives are being actively implemented across the continent to introduce advanced Russian digital services, and following our summit, we will adopt a Declaration of Cooperation in the Civilian Application of Artificial Intelligence Technologies.

Year by year, ties between Russia and Africa continue to deepen in spheres of critical importance to the people of the continent, such as healthcare and combating epidemics. The Russian side supplies effective medicines and provides mobile laboratories, and joint exercises are conducted to practice responding to infectious disease outbreaks.

Educational cooperation is multifaceted and comprehensive. Nearly 40,000 African students are currently studying at Russian universities, and more than 300,000 have graduated from them over the years. Branches of leading Russian universities and educational and cultural centres, which help popularise the Russian language and culture, are being established across the continent.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

Friends, it is highly gratifying that the positions of Russia and African countries on the most topical issues of world politics are in many respects closely aligned or coincide. We stand for equal dialogue and for taking into account the interests of all states. Our country strives in every possible way to help enhance Africa’s role in key multilateral fora. We advocate for a more equitable representation of African states in the global decision-making system, including in the UN Security Council and in international financial institutions. We supported the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly last December establishing the International Day against Colonialism – December 14. And, of course, we welcome the UN’s decision in March this year to recognise the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia makes a significant contribution to resolving existing conflicts and preventing new ones on the African continent. In doing so, we consistently adhere to the fundamental principle you yourselves have proclaimed: African solutions to African problems. Russia is doing a great deal to help African countries maintain domestic stability and security, and to strengthen their defence and law enforcement capabilities.

We have concluded intergovernmental agreements on military and military-technical cooperation with 45 African countries. Military personnel and law enforcement officers from African countries receive training at Russian educational institutions.

I would also like to mention Russia’s consistent efforts to expand its diplomatic presence on the continent. Since the previous summit in 2023, we have opened eight new embassies in African countries, bringing their total number to 48. At the same time, we are expanding our network of trade missions. Although there are currently only six, their activities cover 16 African countries.

For our part, we provide all necessary assistance to African diplomatic missions operating in Russia, whose number is also growing. We know that Botswana, Seychelles and Togo intend to open embassies in Moscow in the near future, and we naturally welcome and support these plans.

Friends, I would like to conclude my remarks, in which I have tried to outline the main areas where Russia and African countries have accumulated extensive experience of effective, practical cooperation, as well as new and promising areas for further collaboration.

Each head of an African delegation will have an opportunity to speak about the current state and prospects for developing relations between their country and Russia, and to address pressing regional and international issues. I am confident that our joint work at this summit will be constructive and businesslike.

And now, I am pleased to give the floor to the President of the Republic of Burundi and current Chairperson of the African Union, Mr Evariste Ndayishimiye. Please, you have the floor.

Photo: Kremlin.ru

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