Despite the global divide in support for Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine – the emerging multipolar world, along with its counterpart institutions like BRICS, continue to take shape.
Historically, Moscow’s ties with the African continent were mostly based on international socialist ideology, as well 20th century liberation movements which drove a fundamental rejection of Western colonisation and imperialism.
While this pedigree still forms the generational foundation of Russo-African relations, the 21st century version of post-colonial Africa has brought a number of new economic and geopolitical partnership opportunities to the fore which have accelerated this burgeoning alignment.
That said, most African countries have not openly condemned Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Taking support up to a new level, Vladimir Putin is now pledging to support the sovereignty of all African nations, and to help support positive development going forward – the diametric opposite of the West’s IMF predatory debt regime which has strangled the continent for the last 50 years.
This week, the Russian president addressed the continent’s leaders on the eve of this key summit in St. Petersburg.
RT International reports…
The African continent is becoming one of the pillars of a new multipolar world, and Russia will do everything in its power to help it prosper, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
In a welcome address to participants of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St. Petersburg, scheduled for July 27 and 28, Putin signaled that Moscow sees great value in cooperation with African nations.
“Russia supports African states’ aspiration to achieve social and economic stability and progress. It is important that our cooperation with Africa has reached a new level in recent years,” he said, adding that Moscow intends to further develop trade and investment as well as help fight poverty, train personnel and ensure food security.
The Russian president added that Africa is now “more and more confidently asserting itself as one of the poles of the emerging multipolar world,” noting that he is certain the forum “will give an additional impetus” to long-term cooperation between the continent and Moscow.
According to Russian officials, the summit will be attended by 49 African delegations, with 17 governments being represented by heads of state. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Oleg Ozerov, the chair of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Secretariat, said that the meeting will see the signing of a “very solid package of agreements,” including those on counter-terrorism, non-deployment of weapons in space, and international security as well as a general political declaration, and a Joint Action Plan for 2023-2026.
The summit will also address the establishment of routes for the delivery of Russian grain and fertilizers to Africa, Ozerov noted, with relevant discussions set to take place after Moscow withdrew from the UN- and Türkiye-mediated grain deal, citing the West’s failure to lift sanctions hindering Russian agricultural exports.
However, on Tuesday, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov claimed that Western countries, particularly the US and France, were putting “unprecedented pressure” on African countries to prevent them from attending the summit.
Western countries are “in fact standing in the way of the sovereign right of African states to independently choose partners both for expanding cooperation… in various fields and for discussing hot issues,” the spokesman said.
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