In the leadup to the Third Russia-Africa Summit, Director of the Department for Friendship with Africa of the Russia Foreign Ministry Tatyana Dovgalenko shared some insights.
– Ms Dovgalenko, in our interview last year we discussed in detail Russia’s interaction with various African integration associations, from the African Union to the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) and sub-regional structures. However, today the continent is witnessing a complex dynamic as the Sahel countries have withdrawn from ECOWAS and created their own alliance, while within the African Union there are discussions on how to preserve a unified agenda amid the growing number of sub-regional groups. In your opinion, how should Russia build its policy so that, on one hand, it supports new independent alliances (such as the AES), and on the other, does not weaken the institutional role of the African Union as the primary voice of the continent? And does this kind of multi-vector approach, when external players begin to choose their preferred partners within the continent, create risks for Africa itself?
– First of all, I would like to note that the African integration architecture has historically been built as a multi-level system. In it, continental and sub-regional mechanisms exist in synergy. That is why all African states are members of the African Union, and the overwhelming majority of them simultaneously belong to several sub-regional organizations.
The Confederation of Sahel States (AES), consisting of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, does not aim to undermine pan-African unity. The emergence of this formation is a response to the tasks facing these countries, primarily in the field of security, and, in our view, does not pose institutional risks to the African Union.
To avoid the multi-vector approach you mentioned and to ensure greater coherence in African integration, annual coordination meetings between the African Union and the main sub-regional organizations have been proceeding regularly since 2019. The establishment of a full-fledged dialogue between the African Union and the AES will follow the same logic. Russia is ready to assist in solving this task.
Strengthening cooperation with all continental associations is among the foreign policy priorities of our country. In the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Department for Partnership with Africa, which was established in 2025, handles coordination in this field. Our approach is based on respect for the sovereign right of African countries to independently determine the formats and directions of their integration participation.
We are making systematic efforts to improve the contractual and legal framework. In February 2026, an action plan for cooperation was signed with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), focused on launching a number of joint projects. Similar documents are being prepared with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) are in the final stages of preparation. Memorandums with the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the aforementioned COMESA are in the final stages of preparation.
– To date, not a single African country has joined the sanctions against Russia. However, Western pressure is not limited to diplomacy. The United States has adopted the law on “Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa,” European countries are pressuring African banks with threats of secondary sanctions, and Western media systematically discredits Russian projects on the continent. Considering these circumstances, how does Russia maintain (or even expand) its presence in Africa?
– Indeed, Western “democracies” use any means available, from political and economic blackmail to anti-Russian propaganda and disinformation, to pressure African countries and force them to abandon mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia.
The illegitimate restrictive measures imposed by the West against our country have provoked a serious crisis in the global economic system and have hit African countries hard, creating food and energy problems for the continent. The restrictions imposed by the EU and the United States have led to difficulties with payments and logistics, which in turn have disrupted global supply chains and caused an unprecedented rise in prices.
It is perfectly clear that the architects of these restrictive measures were fully aware of their negative consequences for the Global South, but deliberately ignored their interests in order to pursue their own selfish desire to maintain global hegemony.
Despite the artificially created difficulties, we remain reliable partners for Africans. We have supplied fertilizers on a free-of-charge basis to meet the urgent needs of our African friends, although, as is well known, Western actors have tried to sabotage this purely humanitarian act. In 2026, Russia sent 770 tons of food aid to Mali and 20,000 tons of mineral fertilizers to Niger.
Today, countries of the Global Majority are clearly demanding equality, openness, and genuine partnership in international relations, including in trade. Our African friends understand perfectly that Western restrictions are a neocolonial practice. The joint statement following the ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Cairo in December 2025 expressed “strong disagreement with the use of unilateral coercive measures as a tool of political and economic pressure.”
The opportunistic actions of our opponents, based on illusions about the possibility of inflicting a quick and crushing military and economic defeat on Russia, have ultimately discredited Western jurisdictions and the global financial architecture based on the dominance of the US dollar and the euro.
The obstacles created by unfriendly states have produced exactly the opposite effect of what their authors expected. Russia and African countries continue to deepen their cooperation. Over the past four years, bilateral contacts have been steadily increasing. We see positive dynamics in trade turnover with Africa. There is progress in discussion about the use of national currencies in mutual trade, and we are taking steps to build the necessary payment and settlement infrastructure independent of Western countries. We continue to expand our diplomatic presence on the continent: Russian embassies are operating in 45 African countries, and we expect to increase this number to 48 in the near future. We are also pleased with the reciprocal steps from our African partners, who are bringing to life plans to open their diplomatic missions in Moscow. We are providing them with the necessary assistance.
The West’s “sanctions” against Russia have given additional impetus for the restructuring of the Russian economy, reducing dependence on Western goods and services, expanding domestic production, creating sovereign technologies and solutions, and entering new promising markets. Ultimately, the economic restrictions imposed by the West against Russia have contributed to strengthening the sectors of our economy previously dependent on Western imports. A successful example of this is that in 2020 Russia became a net exporter of food products for the first time in 30 years.
We are ready to share this valuable experience of building a sovereign development model with our partners to help them achieve self-reliant economic growth based on their own resources and capabilities. Russia actively supports projects in Africa aimed at creating processing capacities and localizing production, and provides access to advanced technological solutions. We place special emphasis on training highly qualified personnel for the continent.
Russia is a reliable and effective partner for Africa in countering security threats – first and foremost terrorist threats. We stand with Africans in correcting historical injustice via reform of global governance institutions and the financial architecture in order to better take into account the interests of African countries, including granting them permanent seats in the UN Security Council in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
For African countries that have endured difficult decades on the path to political independence, it is now important to achieve full control over their resources so that the income can be directed toward stimulating the national economic sector, rather than paying for the well-being of the Western “golden billion.”
– At the end of March, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution submitted by Ghana recognizing the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity. Only three states voted against it, namely the United States, Israel, and Argentina. How does Moscow view the arguments of these countries that refused to acknowledge historical responsibility for the slave trade? Does this indicate an attempt to rewrite history or preserve neocolonial approaches?
– Russia welcomed the adoption of the historic March 25, 2026 UN General Assembly resolution submitted by Ghana and the African Union titled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Radicalized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Greatest Crime against Humanity.” We believe that this document will become a major milestone on the path to restoring historical justice and will make a significant contribution to strengthening the international legal regime for combating the consequences of colonialism, racism, and racial discrimination.
The countries that refused to support the resolution showed their hypocrisy, disregard for the suffering and hardships endured by African peoples, and an unwillingness to take responsibility for the crimes committed during the colonial period. It is foolish to dispute the fact that the slave trade and colonialism inflicted severe damage on the African continent. Denying the obvious reality in no way enhances the authority of the Western countries, whose current prosperity was paid for at the high price of the suffering of African peoples.
Let me remind you that in 1960, it was the USSR that played a key role in the adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, in providing assistance to Africans in their national liberation struggle, in the formation of their statehood and economies, in ensuring their defense capabilities, and in training national personnel. Today, our country remains ready for coordinated international steps to eradicate all manifestations of colonialism, which is taking on new, sophisticated forms. We are conducting joint work with our African friends on this issue, including within the framework of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.
The Russian delegation took active part in the international conference organized by the Government of Ghana on June 18-19 in Accra to implement the provisions of the aforementioned UN General Assembly Resolution 80/250 on the transatlantic slave trade. We consider the African Union’s declaration of 2026 as the decade of “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations” to reflect our current times.
– This autumn Moscow will host the third Russia-Africa Summit. How will it differ from the previous two? What new topics will be included in the agenda, which countries have confirmed participation at the highest level, and what specific results – in terms of figures, agreements, and roadmaps – can we expect? Will the emphasis be placed on practical mechanisms for implementing agreements rather than just declarations?
– The third Russia-Africa Summit will be a logical continuation of the large-scale work that began during the previous high-level meetings. The first summit in Sochi in 2019 marked the beginning of a qualitatively new stage in Russian-African relations and laid the foundation for the current mechanisms of interaction with the continent. Following its results, the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was established, a dialogue format designed to give our cooperation a more systematic and comprehensive character. At the second summit in St. Petersburg in 2023, a large-scale action plan for 2023-2026 was approved, which outlined the main directions of our multifaceted interaction. After that, two ministerial conferences of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum were held, i.e. in Sochi in November 2024 and in Cairo in December 2025, which allowed us to align our positions on key global and regional issues and discuss new promising initiatives.
Thus, we are approaching the third summit with a solid foundation for another breakthrough in strengthening comprehensive, long-term, and mutually beneficial cooperation with the African continent. Today it is important not only to maintain the positive momentum achieved, but also to confirm the transition of our partnership to a more mature and practice-oriented model of interaction.
At the Forum, as well as in bilateral contacts, our African colleagues have repeatedly expressed particular interest in expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation. In this area, we have enormous potential that, unfortunately, has not yet been fully realized.
In this regard, the agenda of the third Russia-Africa Summit will focus on trade, the economy, and investment – areas that fully correspond to our mutual interests. Other priority topics include cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy, the development of independent payment systems, food security, digitalization (including the implementation of artificial intelligence).
As per tradition, an economic and humanitarian forum will be organized on the sidelines of the summit. Its program includes thematic sessions as well as various exhibitions, and cultural and youth events. Participants will be able to discuss in detail a wide range of issues pertaining to Russian-African cooperation, including energy security, water resource management, agricultural and healthcare development, education, scientific, technical, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation.
There is no doubt that the summit in Moscow will be held at the highest level both in terms of organization and participant representation, and in terms of its outcomes. We expect that an impressive series of interstate documents and commercial contracts will be signed during the event. This will serve as clear confirmation that our country remains a reliable partner, ready to offer not just declarative statements, but practical solutions oriented toward the long term and bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of Russia and Africa.
We note a lively interest on the part of our partners in participating in the upcoming meeting, including at the level of heads of state. Many African capitals are already announcing their intention to send representative delegations to Moscow, including heads of state institutions and business circles. The final composition of participants will be determined closer to the date of the summit. At the same time, we have every reason to expect the broadest possible representation of African guests, corresponding to the scale and importance of the upcoming event.
– Cultural and humanitarian cooperation has traditionally been considered one of the strongest foundations of Russian-African relations. However, there is increasing competition in this sphere across the continent today, as China is actively developing Confucius institutes, Türkiye is opening its own educational centers, and the Gulf countries are investing in Islamic education. How does Russia plan not only to maintain but also to increase its cultural presence in Africa given this competitive environment? Will the third summit include a separate humanitarian program, and what new initiatives in the fields of education, science, the Russian language, and cultural exchange will be offered to African partners?
– First of all, I would like to emphasize that Russia does not view cultural and humanitarian cooperation with African states through the lens of rivalry or competition with extra-regional players. Our interaction in this area is valuable in its own right and is based on long-standing traditions of friendship, mutual respect, and solidarity. We maintain that it is through education, science, culture, youth, and academic exchanges that mutual understanding between our peoples is strengthened, creating a solid human-to-human foundation for the development of Russian-African relations for years to come.
These issues will undoubtedly be addressed during thematic events of the aforementioned economic and humanitarian forum, which is being organized on the sidelines of the summit.
As for new initiatives, they are currently being developed by the Russian Foreign Ministry together with interested agencies and organizations that are actively working on the African track. It would be premature to speak about specific projects before they are approved; however, I can assure you that they will definitely be presented at the summit. In this regard, we also proceed from the need to further develop and scale up successfully functioning areas of humanitarian cooperation.
Thus, projects in the field of education and professional training for African states are prioritized. Today, more than 37,000 students from Africa are studying at Russian universities. A good incentive for further popularizing education in Russian universities and attracting African students will be a gradual increase in the number of scholarships for African citizens and an expansion of the range of professional training programs.
We will continue actively working to strengthen inter-university ties with African partners, including through specialized umbrella structures such as the Russian-African Network University, the Consortium of Technical Universities “Subsoil of Africa” based at the Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, the Russian-African Network Transport University, and the Consortium of Russian Universities for Cooperation in West African States based at the Center for People’s Diplomacy.
Rossotrudnichestvo’s Russian Centers of Science and Culture, which operate in 8 countries on the continent, as well as the Centers of Open Education operating under the auspices of the Russian Ministry of Education in 31 African countries, serve as a sound basis for our humanitarian presence in Africa. They act as conduits for the Russian language and Russian culture on the continent. We hope that their number will only continue to grow.
Russian cultural events are quite popular in African countries. A special place among them is occupied by the Days of Russian Spiritual Culture, which include concerts, lectures, master classes, round tables, and exhibitions. Another successful Russian project, “Rising Stars,” aimed at promoting Russian musical art, was implemented this year in Benin, Togo, Nigeria, and Angola. Taking into account the demand for these initiatives, we intend to expand them to new countries on the continent.
The planned opening of the Museum of Africa in Moscow in 2028 will confirm the fruitful Russian-African cultural cooperation.
– Concluding our conversation about the third summit, what will happen after 2026? Is there a plan to move to a new, more institutionalized level of relations, for example, by developing a long-term strategy until 2030 or creating permanent mechanisms (secretariats, working groups, joint economic councils) that would ensure continuity of dialogue between summits?
– After the summit, much work will need to be done to implement the agreements reached during it. It is important that the Russian-African summit leaves behind a serious legacy, including specific projects and initiatives designed for years to come. In this regard, the key joint document will be a new action plan for the next three-year period (2027-2029). It is intended to reflect not only the realities and requirements of the dynamically developing Russian-African relations, but also their main guidelines and objectives across a wide range of cooperation areas from security, energy, agriculture, and trade to digital technologies, healthcare, education, science, culture, and many others.
The implementation of agreements reached at the summit will be carried out on a systematic basis within the framework of the existing and steadily strengthening institutional structure of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum described earlier. This format is multi-level and includes summits, ministerial meetings, as well as rapidly developing sectoral dialogues. For example, the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) holds conferences on combating infectious diseases; the Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University conducts a raw materials dialogue; the Department of International Information Security of the Russian Foreign Ministry holds regular consultations on international information security; and MGIMO University holds the annual “Russia-Africa: What Next?” forum.
An important coordinating function, both in interactions with Russian agencies and organizations and with African partners, is performed by the Secretariat of the Partnership Forum, which is part of the Department for Partnership with Africa of the Russian Foreign Ministry – which I have the honor to head.
Continuity and consistency between summits are ensured by intensive political exchanges at the high and highest levels, as well as through various agencies and organizations, the daily activities of Russian diplomatic missions on the continent, and African diplomatic missions in Moscow. We intend to pay increased attention to expanding ties with Africa’s regional integration associations.
– Ms Dovgalenko, we thank you for an interesting talk!
Interview by Yulia NOVITSKAYA, writer, journalist, and correspondent for New Eastern Outlook
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