Russia, like Africa, defends traditional moral values by resisting the neo-colonial ideology imposed from abroad. Russia plans to step up cooperation with African countries in the fields of energy and medicine, and to double the quota of African students in Russian universities.

Russia strongly supports international efforts to create conditions for stable development in Africa, and to establish reliable mechanisms for guaranteeing peace and security on the continent. Russia also offers Africa many forms of cooperation in various fields: Internet, media, banking, agriculture, energy and security.

Most recently, Porto-Novo and Moscow are exploring the possibility of launching a partnership in the energy sector, including renewable energies and the construction of power plants in Benin. Guinea and Ethiopia are seeking cooperation with Russia to implement energy projects and build infrastructure, as well as to increase investment in hydro, solar and wind power in their countries.

At the same time, Burkina Faso is proposing to set up a joint bank with Russia. The creation of a joint financial institution will pave the way for broader cooperation between Russia and the West African country, which is also a member of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In the field of agriculture, Africa is interested in various Russian agricultural products, such as fertilizers, cereals and vegetable oils, as well as technical means and software, noted the Russian trade representative. Russia is ready to satisfy the interests of African countries in a wide range of new technologies and agricultural products, including fertilizers.

In another area of cooperation, Russia and African countries will sign a large-scale agreement on space exploration during the forthcoming 2nd Russia-Africa Summit on July 27-28 in St. Petersburg.

What’s most important is that Russia doesn’t impose any ideology on Africa, nor does it interfere in the religious or internal affairs of sovereign states. Russia communicates with Africa on an equal footing, which compares very favorably with many of the world’s great powers.

By F. Asare