As Russia prepares to strengthen its overall corporate economic profile during the African leaders’ summit, policy experts are questioning bilateral agreements that were signed, many of them largely remained unimplemented, at least, for the past decade with various African countries.

Russia has been looking to raise its existing relationship with African countries and Afreximbank is now providing huge support in realising that long term goal. 

Over the years, the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum has become an open platform to exchange best practices and key competences in the interest of providing sustainable development.

Over the years, Russia and the Republic of Congo have had good bilateral relations. Undoubtedly, there are still prospects for strengthening these relations, especially in the economic and security spheres, as underlined during the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Denis Sassou-Nguesso in the Kremlin.ce

Strengthening cooperation in trade, economy and culture, as well as current international and regional matters were top issues in talks between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President João Lourenço of Angola at the Kremlin on 4 April.

As Russia prepares to host the first ever Africa-Russia summit in October 2019, the author looks at Africans’ expectations of this new relationship between the former Soviet Union and African countries in the face of growing competition for the continent’s resources. 

A number of African countries facing internal politico-economic challenges including Zimbabwe are turning to Russia not only for financial help in terms of investments and loans, but also for political support. 

In this essay, the author talks about the current limited involvement of Russia on the African continent and the need to increase it to the level of the former Soviet Union’s ties with Africa.  

Experts and researchers have observed that, since the collapse of the Soviet-era politics, an appreciable level of media cooperation has never been on the side of Russia’s public diplomacy with Africa.