The ‘1st Russia-Africa Partnership Forum’ (Forum) was held for two days on November 9th and 10th at the Sirius University of Science and Technology in Sochi, Russia. Russia and Africa have decided to pursue a ‘partnership’ that will lead a new “multipolar world order” in which America’s unilateral hegemony will not work.
In this article, we look into the background and meaning of the forum, the contents of the joint statement, and its prospects.
Background and meaning of the forum
The forum was an opportunity to concretize the agreements reached at the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit held in St. Petersburg in July 2023 and explore implementation plans.
At the time of the 2nd Summit, Russia and 54 African countries announced the ‘Second Russia-Africa Summit Declaration’, which consisted of 74 items. Article 1 of the declaration included strengthening the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, and accordingly, the forum was held for the first time.
Previously, Russia and Africa held the first Russia-Africa Summit in 2019. Since then, the two sides have steadily strengthened cooperation, leading to the second Russia-Africa Summit in 2023 and this year’s forum.
The summit held previously was an opportunity for Russia and Africa to bring together major agendas and goals through agreement. In comparison, the forum, which was held as a ministerial meeting, focused on finding ways to implement the agreement.
This forum was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. About 1,500 official delegations, consisting of 40 high-ranking officials, including foreign ministers and vice ministers, and business representatives from each African country, attended the forum and continued discussions.
It is said that during the discussion, more than 50 contracts and trade deals worth $12 billion (approximately 16.722 trillion won) were concluded between African delegations and Russian companies.
In addition to the promise of enormous economic cooperation, Russia and Africa emphasized the meaning of moving forward together as partners in preparing an equal world order and a multipolar system that is different from American hegemony.
In his welcoming speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “African countries are increasingly gaining authority on the world stage. “Pursuing a constructive and peace-loving foreign policy, we are playing an increasingly important role in addressing the most important issues on the international agenda.”
“Russia attaches particular importance to strengthening traditional friendly relations with its African partners,” he said. “We are united in our desire to build a just multipolar world order based on true equality and the supremacy of international law, free from any form of discrimination, oppression or sanctions pressure.”
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said, “Russia and Africa are united in the belief that these goals can be achieved together under the principles of equality, mutual respect and consideration for each other’s interests,” adding, “The new principles of cooperation we have created are -He pledged to “act as a driving force in the development of African relations, contribute to forming a more fair multipolar world order, and ensure regional and global stability.”
African countries emphasized that their relationship with Russia, which seeks partnership, is fundamentally different from their relationship with Western powers such as France, which colonized and oppressed the African continent in the past.
Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, evaluated Russia as “a more suitable international partner than France, a colonial power.”
Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdullahe Diop said, “Unlike France’s, Russia’s partnership is genuine,” and said Mali and Russia are seeking various cooperation.
Deriving a joint statement
Russia and African countries issued a joint statement at the forum.
Russia and Africa agreed to step forward as equal partners in the international community through a joint statement. In particular, it is noteworthy that the African Union, which has been seeking political and economic integration of the African continent, specified strengthening cooperation in line with the existing plan.
In the preface, the joint statement said, “We seek an international order that preserves the cultural and civilizational uniqueness of all nations and equal opportunities for development, regardless of differences in political, economic and social structures, geographical locations, demographics, resources and military potential.” “We reaffirm our intention to continue engaging at a strategic level to achieve a world order that guarantees.”
“We reaffirm the joint responsibility of the Russian Federation and African countries to support the creation of a fair and stable world order based on the principles of sovereign equality of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right of all peoples to self-determination,” it continued. “On the basis of our mutual commitment to strengthen dialogue and engagement within the Forum of Russia-Africa Partnership, we express our readiness to further coordinate actions in all areas of Russia-Africa relations, based on the common and mutual interests of our two countries. “I reveal it.” did it
In a joint statement, Russia and 54 African countries prepared plans to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of fields, including ▲political cooperation ▲security cooperation ▲trade and economic cooperation ▲education, health, culture, sports, youth policy and media linkage ▲environment and climate cooperation.
Among them, the important measures are selected and introduced as follows.
Political cooperation “reaffirms our commitment to continue to contribute to strengthening the national sovereignty of the Russian Federation and African countries on the basis of the norms of international and domestic law, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 ‘The Africa we want’ and other strategic documents; “We confirm our readiness to develop a multilateral format with the proactive participation of countries that respect the principle of national sovereignty and equality.”
“We consider the development of constructive partnerships with the African Union and key African integration organizations a foreign policy priority of the Russian Federation and African countries,” it said.
He continued to emphasize “the role of BRICS in promoting an equitable and inclusive system of international relations based on a fair international order and equality for all states” and “the central role of the United Nations in promoting inclusive multilateralism and safeguarding peace and security.” He supported the advancement of African countries to permanent membership in the UN Security Council.
Russia and Africa “reaffirm our commitment to joint efforts against any manifestations of neo-colonialism, violent or non-violent, that exploit the resources of sovereign states and peoples,” he said. “Under the leadership of the United Nations, we , and supports efforts to complete the process of genuine decolonization of the African continent in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Charter.”
Joint measures to implement the decolonization of Africa include ▲ joint work on national archives to preserve historical memories of colonial crimes and their aftermath ▲ compensation for the process of colonial invasion by African countries, and return of stolen cultural properties. The goal was to establish action and legal data and establish a database organization that anyone can view.
Security cooperation recognizes “the need for a collective effort and a comprehensive approach to review and strengthen the international peace and security architecture, with a focus on addressing the root causes of conflict within and between states, based on the inviolability of equal and indivisible security.” “I emphasize this,” he said.
“We reaffirm our readiness to cooperate to strengthen and advance the international policy framework to maintain strategic stability, disarmament, arms control, and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery,” it said.
In this regard, it stated, “We urge you to strengthen efforts to form a fair and equitable international information security system in accordance with the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of each country.”
Specifically, ▲supporting the development of a universal legal framework to prevent and peacefully resolve disputes in the field of information and communications, and preventing and responding to the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes ▲for responsible state behavior in the field of information and communications The importance of implementing agreed voluntary rules, norms and principles was emphasized.
It went on to “affirm the importance of the principle of ‘African solutions to African problems’ in conflict resolution. “We are ready to cooperate not only in preventing and resolving conflict situations, but also in implementing concrete measures to restore peace and stability on the African continent.”
“We are ready to establish a permanent top-level Russian-African dialogue mechanism that will contribute to peace, stability and security, while coordinating efforts to combat terrorism and extremism, address environmental issues, and address food and information security issues.” “I reconfirm,” he said.
On trade and economic cooperation, it “emphasizes the importance of expanding the use of national currencies in trade and financial transactions between the Russian Federation and the countries of the African continent.”
Russia, which has been subject to large-scale sanctions by the United States and Western powers since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, has expanded transactions in its own currency with BRICS member countries China, India, and Brazil. In the future, Russia and Africa are expected to explore this method in the process of economic cooperation.
“We emphasize the need to adopt a more coordinated approach to create effective new international transport corridors and preserve existing ones for the mutually beneficial economic development of the Russian Federation and African countries,” he said.
Currently, Russia is exploring a transport corridor from eastern Siberia through Turkiye and Egypt to Cape Town in the south of South Africa. This transportation corridor spans a total of 22,387 kilometers, and if realized, it is likely to change the logistics order of the international community.
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If the cooperation plan between Russia and Africa is implemented, it is expected to have a significant impact on the international community.
Russia and Africa promised to hold the forum periodically in the future. He also emphasized cooperation between Russian and African parliaments and announced that he would hold a ‘regular meeting of the international parliament.’
This can be said to reflect Russia and Africa’s will to strongly promote cooperation in various fields such as politics, economy, and security as partners in the international community.
Anton Kovyakov, advisor to the Russian President, attended the forum and said, “We have established bilateral intergovernmental committees on trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation with many (African) countries.” Russia and Africa are expected to coordinate cooperation through the committee.
Attention is being paid to what results the ‘unprecedented cooperation’ between Russia and Africa will produce in a period of upheaval in the international order.
**How might the emphasis on decolonization within the Russia-Africa partnership be perceived by Western nations, and what are the potential implications for global power dynamics and international relations?**
This article explores the increasing partnership between Russia and African nations, highlighting their joint statement released at the recent Russia-Africa Forum. Here are some open-ended questions to spark discussion and explore different viewpoints on the key topics:
**I. Political Cooperation & International Order:**
* **Neocolonialism & Decolonization:**
* The statement emphasizes combating neocolonialism. What are the most pressing manifestations of neocolonialism in Africa today? Can Russia genuinely help African nations address these issues?
* What does “genuine decolonization” mean in the 21st century? What concrete actions beyond returning cultural artifacts are necessary to achieve it? Could this partnership inadvertently reintroduce a different form of dependency?
* **Global Power Dynamics:**
* How might the strengthening of Russia-Africa ties shift the balance of power in the international arena? What implications could this have for existing international institutions like the UN Security Council?
* **The Role of BRICS:**
* The statement supports Africa’s inclusion in BRICS. How could BRICS serve as a counterbalance to Western-dominated institutions? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of Africa’s increased involvement with BRICS?
**II. Security Cooperation:**
* **Addressing Roots of Conflict:**
* The statement calls for a focus on addressing the “root causes of conflict.” What are these root causes in the context of Africa? Can Russia and African nations realistically work together to tackle them?
* **”African Solutions to African Problems”:**
* What are the strengths and limitations of the principle of “African solutions to African problems”? How can Russia best support this principle while respecting African sovereignty?
* **Terrorism and Extremism:**
* How effective can a Russia-Africa partnership be in combating terrorism and extremism on the continent? What are the potential challenges and risks involved?
**III. Trade and Economic Cooperation:**
* **Trading in National Currencies:**
* What are the potential benefits and risks for Africa in trading more in national currencies with Russia? How could this affect existing trade relationships with other nations?
* **International Transport Corridors:**
* * The proposed Russia-Africa transport corridor presents both opportunities and logistical challenges. What are the potential benefits for African nations? Who might stand to lose from the establishment of this corridor?
**IV. Broader Implications:**
* **The Future of the Partnership:**
* What are the long-term goals of the Russia-Africa partnership? Is it genuinely a partnership of equals, or does it risk reinforcing existing power imbalances?
* **Impact on the International Order:**
* How might this partnership affect the dynamics between Africa, the West, and the rest of the world? Could it lead to the emergence of a multipolar world order?
These questions should stimulate a nuanced and critical discussion about the complex implications of the deepening partnership between Russia and African nations.
