High-Level Meeting Held in Moscow on Expanding Russia-Africa Economic and Investment Cooperation
Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chaired a meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Business Council, focusing on the expansion of economic and investment cooperation with African countries, according to the Russian side.
The meeting, held on June 30, centered on ways to broaden and deepen mutually beneficial relations between Russia and African nations in the fields of trade, investment and economic cooperation. Participants exchanged views on the full range of interaction in this area, particularly in the context of initiatives aimed at strengthening all aspects of African countries’ sovereignty.
The participants also held substantive discussions on possible measures to facilitate the activities of Russian businesses in African markets. They identified the presence of Russian companies in Africa, business opportunities, investment protection, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, mining, industrial development, technology and humanitarian cooperation as important areas for future engagement.
According to the Russian side, the upcoming Third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled to be held in Moscow in October, along with the traditional Economic and Humanitarian Forum on its sidelines, is expected to give fresh momentum to Russia-Africa business cooperation.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Presidential Executive Office, the Foreign Ministry, relevant ministries and agencies, as well as representatives of business associations and Russian companies already active in Africa. Participants stressed the importance of developing long-term, stable and mutually respectful economic relations with African partners.
In recent years, Russia has been expanding cooperation with African countries in political, economic, security, educational, energy and humanitarian fields. Moscow has presented its partnership with Africa as part of a broader vision of a multipolar world order, sovereign development and economic cooperation free from external pressure.
The meeting chaired by Foreign Minister Lavrov is being viewed as an important preparatory step ahead of the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit. It placed emphasis on making Russian business activity in Africa more effective, identifying practical obstacles and strengthening coordination between the state and private sectors.
According to Russian officials, cooperation with Africa is not limited to commercial benefit alone. It is also linked to industrial development, food security, energy supply, infrastructure construction, human resource development and the strengthening of national sovereignty. In this context, the forthcoming summit and the Economic and Humanitarian Forum are expected to help move the Russia-Africa partnership into a new phase.
