THIRD RUSSIA–AFRICA SUMMIT AND OTHER RUSSIA–AFRICA EVENTS

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Russia and Africa forging a new framework of cooperation: Moscow to host third Summit in autumn 2026

The Organizing Committee of the Third Russia–Africa Summit, which is scheduled for 28–29 October 2026, recently held a meeting in Moscow.

The meeting participants reviewed some of the issues that will comprise the agenda of the upcoming event, as well as preparations for the accompanying Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

Aide to the President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Organizing Committee Yury Ushakov noted that Russia and African nations continue to have positive momentum in their cooperation despite the complex international environment. The Summits held in 2019 and 2023 reaffirmed the high level of mutual interest and marked a major milestone in strengthening Russia’s relations with the countries of Africa.

“The Summits in 2019 and 2023 essentially provided a new impetus to Russia–Africa interaction. We now have to carry out serious and extensive work to prepare for the third Summit. It is important that we place particular emphasis on the economic dimension of our relations,” Ushakov said.

As part of preparations for the Summit, Russian and African officials continue efforts to strengthen the institutional framework for cooperation, establish new mechanisms for collaboration, expand Russia’s diplomatic presence across the continent, and prepare agreements for the creation of intergovernmental commissions. They plan to pay particular attention to issues concerning trade, investment, logistics, energy, food security, high technology, and humanitarian cooperation.

Officials specifically emphasized the need to prepare an economic agenda for the Summit with a practical focus. The Organizing Committee members said African nations are interested in localizing manufacturing, developing infrastructure and digital services, workforce training, as well as expanding cooperation in industry, pharmaceuticals, and artificial intelligence.

Plans are also being finalized for the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, which will serve as a platform for coming up with concrete initiatives that aim to intensify cooperation in such sectors as the economy, trade, investment, culture, education, and technology.

“Our job for the third meeting of leaders from Russia and the African continent is to create a lasting legacy in the form of signed packages of agreements in economics, trade, investment, culture, and education,” Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov said.

The meeting participants emphasized that the Third Russia–Africa Summit will provide significant momentum in further strengthening Russia’s strategic partnership with African countries, expanding economic and humanitarian ties, and advancing joint initiatives within the emerging multipolar world.

“Contacts between Russia and African nations are intensifying at the highest levels. Our partners have repeatedly expressed a special interest in expanding trade and investment cooperation. So, the plan is for the agenda of the third Summit to be built around economic issues,” Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Georgy Borisenko said.

The key benchmarks and goals for the next stage of Russia–Africa relations are expected to be enshrined in a new action plan for the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum covering the years 2027–2029.

 

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“We highly value the results of our joint work at the summit. I am sure the achieved results are creating a good foundation for further deepening the Russia-Africa partnership in the interests of our nations’ prosperity and wellbeing.”

President of the Russian Federation
Vladimir Putin

The Russia–Africa Summit, which is taking place in Sochi on 23–24 October 2019, encapsulates the historically friendly relations between the African continent and the Russian Federation. This Summit carries great significance as it is the first of its kind to emerge during a period of major global and international transformations. In response to the aspirations of the people it is representing, the Summit intends to build a comprehensive framework for expanding Russian–African relations into broader horizons of joint cooperation across different fields.

The African nations and Russia share a common understanding of international relations, based on the principles of respect for the rule of international law, equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Both sides affirm their commitment to support multilateral actions to oppose new international threats, be they terrorism and extremism in all their forms, or declining growth rates. The two sides share a firm conviction regarding the importance of developing trade flows and supporting mutual investment in such a way as to ensure security, peace and development for the African and Russian people.

African countries have huge potential and opportunities that will allow them, once efforts to streamline their economies have been achieved, to emerge as real global players. In recent years, the nations of this continent have achieved major successes spanning the political, economic, social and administrative spheres. Africa has flourished in terms of growth over the past decade, reaching a continent-wide growth rate of 3.55% in 2018.

The African Union Summit, which was held in Niger in July 2019, continued the efforts of the African countries and saw the African Continental Free Trade Agreement come into force, along with its operational instruments. The agreement is one of the key objectives of Agenda 2063, an African development strategy that has been created to address the African people’s desire for prosperity and decent living standards.

These successes are opening up wide-ranging prospects for cooperation between African countries and the Russian Federation, and confirm the determination of African governments and their people to cooperate with multiple partners in order to establish mutually beneficial relations.

With this in mind, we express our hopes that the Russia–Africa Summit will help in the establishment of constructive strategic relations, based on partnership between two sides across various fields, and in the service of fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the African people and their friends in Russia.

President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Abdelfattah ALSISI