On May 21, the Valai Club held an expert discussion titled “Russia and African States: Objectives of Partnership”. Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, moderated the discussion.
Denis Degterev, Editor-in-Chief of the Scientific Notes of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor at the Higher School of Economics, and Chief Researcher at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, briefly outlined the current state of the Russian-African partnership. He noted that, in addition to growing trade and economic cooperation, humanitarian cooperation is actively developing. One of the key players in this area highlighted the creation of educational and cultural centres—”Russian Houses”, including non-governmental ones. These centres actively teach Russian, including specialised language courses for future students. Also important—as a component of cultural policy—is the successful work of the Patriarchal Exarchate for Africa. At the same time, according to Degterev, despite the abundance of projects, there is still a feeling that they are fragmented and have not yet begun to form an ecosystem to ensure the security of African countries. He expressed hope that the upcoming third Russia-Africa Summit will stimulate the formation of such ecosystems and advance cooperation to a new level.
Sherif Ged, Chairman, Egyptian Association of Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities, called Rosatom’s construction of a nuclear power plant in Egypt an exceptionally important event for the Egyptian people, and recalled major projects involving the Soviet Union that contributed to the fate of Egypt. “Egypt still largely thrives on these projects”, he admitted. He added that the Russian industrial zone project in Egypt also looks very promising, as it will facilitate large-scale supplies of Russian goods to Africa, which would be beneficial for all parties. It is well known that Russia has historically held a special place in the hearts of the Egyptian people in the because, unlike the United States and the West, it has always been sincere with them and other African people. Moreover, Russia plays a significant role in relations with the peoples of Africa through public diplomacy, the consequences of which are reflected in Russian homes.
Alice Soamirai Ndriambanona, Director of Partnerships and Legal Affairs for the Sofia Region, Madagaskar, noted that developing Russia’s partnership with Madagascar is hampered by the country’s overall lack of offerings to Russia. This situation is characteristic of many African countries: due to significant changes in living standards, there is always a risk of cooperation focusing solely on aid, which leads to negative consequences. A separate problem is the mutual stereotypes that must be overcome. Nevertheless, we live on the same planet, and this allows for greater cooperation, including in key economic sectors for African countries – agriculture and energy. It is important to instil a sense of responsibility in the people – this is where true liberation and development for all African countries lies.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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