Russia and Guinea-Bissau Seek Broader Cooperation as AI and Alternative Currencies Emerge as Russia–Africa Summit Priorities

Dragon Media News Desk

Russia and Guinea-Bissau have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, energy, mineral resources, geological exploration and fisheries.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Moscow on Thursday following talks with Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities, Fatumata Jau, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said relations between the two countries were founded on historic friendship, mutual respect and support.

Lavrov said bilateral relations dated back to the struggle of the people of Guinea-Bissau for independence. Both sides reaffirmed their determination to strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas and identified specific measures they hoped to implement in the near future.

Economic cooperation was given particular attention during the talks. The two countries agreed to encourage greater interaction between businesses and relevant institutions in mineral resource development, geological prospecting, energy and fisheries.

Russia also reiterated its support for efforts to normalise relations between the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, and Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Lavrov said the four countries should be fully involved in the activities of the African Union. He claimed that certain actors were attempting to obstruct their participation and stressed the importance of dialogue and cooperation among African states.

Responding to a question about preparations for the Third Russia–Africa Summit, Lavrov said Russia was not pursuing cooperation with African countries merely for appearances but was seeking concrete and lasting results.

He said the main objective of the upcoming summit would be to make Russia–Africa relations more stable, practical and results-oriented, particularly in economic development and humanitarian cooperation.

According to Lavrov, cooperation between Russia and African countries is based on the principles of mutual benefit and respect. He said the first Russia–Africa Summit in 2019 established the political foundation for cooperation, while the second summit focused on issues including food and security.

The third summit, he said, would represent a new stage centred on developing specific projects of mutual benefit. He added that the summit agenda had been aligned as closely as possible with the African Union’s decisions on the continent’s long-term development priorities.

Priority topics at the Third Russia–Africa Summit in Moscow will include information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, the digital economy and cross-border settlements using currencies other than major Western reserve currencies.

Lavrov accused Western countries of abusing their dominance over major reserve currencies and argued that expanding settlements in alternative currencies was necessary to make international economic relations more balanced and secure.