Amr Yehia , Saturday 15 Jul 2023
A Russia-Africa pre-summit roundtable was held Wednesday in Addis Ababa, focusing on social partnership, digitization and agricultural cooperation.
The roundtable titled “Social and Humanitarian Fields between Russia and Africa” discussed the wide-ranging connections between Russia and Africa, as a prelude to the Russia-Africa Summit which will take place in St. Petersburg from 26 to 29 July 2023.
Opening the event, Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) Evgeny Terekhin said Russia will prioritize economic and trade cooperation with African countries.
“The Russia-Africa Summit has emerged as a pivotal event, driving the development of Russian-African relations. Through this collaboration, we envision attaining an unprecedented level of mutually beneficial partnership that will fortify our resilience against the challenges of the twenty-first century” said Terekhin.
“The summit will contribute to strengthening comprehensive and equal cooperation between Russia and African countries,” stressed the ambassador.
The Advisor to the General Manager of the United Chemical Company, Andrei Guturov, announced an ambitious initiative to supply approximately 300 thousand tons of fertilizers to developing countries, mainly in Africa, free of charge.
The primary objective of this initiative is to combat hunger and prevent the escalation of the global food crisis.
Guturov further explained that the initiative also focuses on technology transfer and capacity building, including the training of skilled personnel.
“The aim is to foster mutually beneficial cooperation that will enable African countries to enhance agricultural productivity, create new employment opportunities, and ensure access to essential food resources,” he added.
Igor Morozov, Chairman of the Coordinating Committee for Economic Cooperation with African Countries, addressed the digital transformation taking place in Africa, which has captured Russia’s keen interest.
“We live in a digital world, and there is no doubt that the future of civilization depends on the digital economy, ” Morozov said.
He also highlighted Russia’s digital platforms, including B2B and B2C, along with advancements in educational products and services. Morozov noted Moscow’s reputation as one of the world’s leading cities in terms of quality of life and digitization of services, trailing only Toronto and Singapore.
Morozov emphasized the potential for Africans to benefit from the experience of Russia’s digital transformation, and collaborate for a shared technological future.
