This Week Russia Hosted African Dignitaries In Moscow

mid.ru  |  Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are marking Africa Day today, a holiday that symbolises the African peoples’ unbending will and uncompromising struggle in the name of freedom and independence.

Russia has played a leading role in decolonisation and in consolidating decolonisation processes, as well as drafting UN resolutions. Unfortunately, some of them have been sabotaged by former metropolises to this day. We stand in solidarity with your demands for the complete liberation of Africa from the last vestiges of colonial legacy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Allow me to read out President Vladimir Putin’s message to heads of state and government of African countries.

Please accept my warmest wishes on Africa Day, a holiday symbolising the aspirations of the countries on your continent for freedom, independence, peace and prosperity.

This year marks 20 years since the Organisation of African Unity was transformed into the African Union. That change marked the emergence of a multilateral pan-African platform on a qualitatively higher level of interaction in the political, socioeconomic and other spheres.

African states have achieved a great deal together over the past two decades. They have developed mechanisms for a collective response to local conflicts and crises, and are consistently promoting regional integration processes in various formats. Africa enjoys growing prestige on the global stage and plays an increasingly important role in resolving important issues on the international agenda.

Our country has always placed particular emphasis on expanding friendly relations with our African partners. The Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi in 2019 paved the way for expanding fruitful cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally. I am confident that by rallying together, we will be able to ensure the development and implementation of many useful and innovative projects and initiatives in various fields for the benefit of our countries and peoples, in the interests of strengthening security and stability in Africa and around the world.

I wish you good health and every success in your public endeavours , as well as peace, well-being and prosperity to your fellow citizens.

Vladimir Putin.

There is no doubt that we can do more above and beyond the existing level of political and economic integration within the African Union. I am confident that our friends will continue to move forward and fulfill their goals in the interest of ensuring the well-being and prosperity of their respective countries.

We will continue to provide comprehensive support and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Russian-African relations are traditionally friendly and are making good progress.

Russia has always been and will remain a reliable partner and friend to the countries of Africa. Today, we are confronted with certain Western countries’ unscrupulous attempts to constrain our engagement with Africa. I’m referring to the all-out hybrid war against Russia declared by Washington and its European satellites in connection with the special military operation in Ukraine, the reasons for which you are well aware of.

It is not so much about Ukraine, which is used as a bargaining chip in the global anti-Russian game. The main problem is that a small group of US-led Western countries keeps trying to impose the concept of a rules-based world order on the international community. They use this banner to promote, without any hesitation, a unipolar model of the world order where there are “exceptional” countries and everyone else who must obey the “club of the chosen.”

The US congressmen who are busy drafting a law on countering “malign Russian activities in Africa” are an integral part of this neo-colonial policy. The United States and its allies are pursuing a similar policy regarding Africa's cooperation with the People's Republic of China.

The attempts to reverse history and to subjugate the peoples of the continent once again grossly violate the sovereignty and independence of the countries of that region. They jeopardise the entire international relations system that relies on the UN Charter and the principle of respect for the sovereign equality of states.

It pleases me to state that African countries have adopted a balanced and objective stance with regard to the developments in Ukraine. We know that the African countries openly oppose the Western countries’ unceremonious behaviour. I’m confident that our friends will not succumb to Washington's discriminatory pressure. We highly appreciate your willingness to further expand the political dialogue with our country and to build up cooperation in the economy, culture and other spheres.

In the interests of our peoples, it is important to work together to maintain and expand mutually beneficial trade and investment ties in the new circumstances in order to be able to rely on dependable supply and finance mechanisms that are protected against external interference. It is important to facilitate the mutual access of Russian and African economic operators to each other's markets and to encourage their engagement in major infrastructure projects.

These tasks are central to preparations for the second Russia-Africa summit. In conjunction with our African friends, we hope to agree on the variables for holding the summit and its content soon.

We know that African countries are among the most vulnerable in terms of food security. Some of them are critically dependent on agricultural imports from Russia. We are aware that these supplies are of great importance for maintaining social stability and achieving the benchmarks stipulated by the UN-approved Sustainable Development Goals.

I would like to reassure everyone that Russia is fulfilling and will continue to honestly fulfil its obligations under international contracts in terms of export supplies of food, fertilisers, energy and other commodities that Africa needs.

At the same time, we call on our friends, the African Union, to strongly demand that the West lift illegal unilateral sanctions that undermine the transport and supply infrastructure that international trade depend on, which creates risks for vulnerable groups of the population. Africa’s voice must be heard. The UN Secretary General must adopt a more principled stance on this matter.

I’d be remiss not to mention professional training which is a traditional sphere of ​​our partnership. About 27,000 African students are studying in our country. The Government has decided to gradually increase the annual quota of students admitted from Africa. In addition to student exchanges, we will continue to focus on expanding and deepening social, scientific, youth and sports contacts.

Colleagues, friends,

I would like once again to wish us all a happy holiday and peace and prosperity to our countries and peoples. I wish you personally and your loved ones good health, successes, prosperity and all the best.