Putin woos African leaders

MOSCOW (AP):

Russian President Vladimir Putin courted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit that wrapped up Thursday as he seeks to bolster Moscow’s clout across the continent.

Speaking during a meeting in the Kremlin on the second day of the summit, Putin said that “Russia and Africa are united by truly strong bonds of friendship and close partnership”.

“We are natural allies in building a multipolar, genuinely democratic world order, free from diktat and double standards and based on respect for the norms of international law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter,” Putin said.

He mentioned Moscow’s support for the African nations’ anti-colonial fight during Soviet times.

“Russia has always been and remains committed to seeing African nations defend their sovereignty, achieve steady growth, and strengthen their economies and social sectors,” the Russian leader said. “We stand ready to continue working together with you across all these areas to achieve these goals.”

The summit is part of the Kremlin’s push to deepen ties with Africa, home to nearly 1.6 billion people and increasingly influential on the global stage. Its 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations.

Moscow first hosted the Russia-Africa summit in 2019 and then again in 2023. This week’s summit drew nearly 50 African nations, about 20 of which were represented by their leaders.

Speaking during Thursday’s meeting, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi noted that “Africa’s security and stability remain an essential condition for achieving the aspirations of its peoples”.

Kenyan President William Ruto argued that “the international order must reflect the world as it is today, not the world as it was in 1945”, adding that Africa “can’t continue without permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council”.

Putin quickly backed his statement, saying that “the absence of African representatives at the UN Security Council is unfair”.

The Russian president noted that Russia’s trade with African countries topped US$27 billion last year and vowed to expand it. He noted that Russian companies have pursued major investment projects in Africa in spheres such as energy, mining, industrial cooperation, and logistics.

“Our business community approaches cooperation with African partners with honesty, respect, and integrity, conducting business on an equal footing,” Putin said.

“Rather than siphoning off profits in the manner of the colonial practices by former imperial powers, they reinvest their earnings into the development of your national economies, they readily share advanced technologies and expertise, broadly engage local subcontractors, and help create new production facilities and jobs,” he said.

Putin emphasises Russia’s role as a supplier of agricultural products to Africa

He said that Russia delivered over 18 million metric tonnes of grain to Africa last year and another 13 million metric tonnes in the first nine months of this year, casting the supplies as a “concrete and tangible contribution to ensuring food security across the entire African continent”.

Russian exports of mineral fertilisers reached approximately 1.5 million metric tonnes last year and have already exceeded 2.2 million metric tonnes so far this year.

Putin also mentioned Russia’s assistance in the spheres of healthcare and education, noting that nearly 40,000 students from African nations are currently studying at Russian universities.

He specifically underlined Moscow’s efforts to help African states in “maintaining internal stability and security and in strengthening their defense and law- enforcement capabilities,” adding that Russia has intergovernmental agreements on military and military-technical cooperation with 45 African countries.