Scanner: Russia and Africa, more than five decades united by sovereignty (+ photos + information + video)

From the 1960s to the present, with the fluctuations in relations, the Eurasian giant – before the USSR and currently the Russian Federation – implements cooperation mechanisms in order to contribute to the development of Africa. countries in sectors such as energy and food.

Confrontation with Western countries that have tried for years to subjugate the so-called black continent to strip it of wealth, parallels it in the intentions of the United States and its allies to isolate Moscow from the global geopolitical map.

Despite such obvious actions, the Russian authorities, and especially President Vladimir Putin, understand that Africa as a whole for 60 years “has become a symbol of the victory of peoples over colonialism, in search of freedom, peace and prosperity.”

Special Missions Ambassador of the Russian Foreign Ministry Oleg Azirov, in private remarks to Iskaner, noted that the struggle for African sovereignty and realization of their own development opportunities dates back to the 1960s to the early 1990s. The countries of Latin America, especially Cuba, joined and fought with their African brothers to liberate them from the chains of neo-colonialism.

“At that time, the Soviet Union signed social and economic cooperation agreements with 35 African countries. In addition, about 600 industrial facilities were established, the infrastructure of which was completed in the mid-1980s, and at the beginning of perestroika in the Soviet Union between 300 and 380 such projects.

The head of the Secretariat of the Russian-African Association of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that several power generation stations were established during this period, including the largest hydroelectric power station on the continent at that time, allowing the generation of large numbers of gigawatts.

Likewise, he highlighted that another of the widely interrelated sectors was the training of highly qualified professionals, the construction of learning centers for higher education, and the arrival of 100,000 students in the Soviet Union to pursue university studies.

“After the collapse of the USSR, there was a decrease in this volume of cooperation, although it never stopped, but from 2006-2008 our interaction with the African continent began to be restored. Many Russian companies come to this market. Although, of course, not to The level one could desire, the diplomat confirmed.

In this sense, he said that the first Russian-African summit was held in 2019, in the Russian city of Sochi, where 54 African countries were represented, in the presence of 44 heads of state, a number of prime ministers, and deputy prime ministers. and foreign ministers, witnessed the re-establishment of a rich bilateral dialogue.

Face west

Ozerov explained that after the start of the Russian special military operation on Ukrainian soil in February 2022 – for two main reasons: to protect the population of Donbass from the attacks of the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, and to ensure Russia’s security. Union after Ukraine’s open declaration of its intention to join NATO – the collective West opened fire on the economy of the Slavic state.

“Immediately after the start of the process, all countries of the world, from Latin America to Africa, were subjected to the most severe pressure from Western countries, which began to present Russia’s actions not as protection, but as the right to legal defense. Which is what they really are.

He explained that this was approved in Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations regarding the right to individual and collective defense against aggression.

In this regard, the diplomat added, they are trying to show their nation as the main culprit in the conflict, and in this way they seek that all countries worldwide condemn Russia unconditionally and stop any contact with it.

“The goal is clear, to present Russia as an isolated country in the world and thus create the conditions for its destruction and disintegration; an example of this is the statements of the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, when she reported to the US Congress that the task of the West is to impose strategies to defeat Russia.”

The ambassador emphasized that none of these plans, such as the apostasy of his intentions, were fulfilled “thanks, among other things, to the position adopted by African countries, which we consider very balanced.”

In most cases, this is a neutral position. And even in those in which African countries, under Western pressure, were forced to vote against Russian interests and condemn its actions in Ukraine. Even then, Ozerov argued, we understood that these measures were forced.

The majority of countries, the vast majority of countries, did not join these sanctions and refused to accept the version of the West and Ukraine that Russia is an imperialist country, guided by the interests of plundering other countries, and wants to take over their own. resources,” he said.

In this context, the diplomat added, the West is trying, and unfortunately successfully to this day, to plunder the wealth of Africa, and to return no more than 0.03 percent of the huge money they extort from these lands.

Africans have recently begun to understand that the West, rejecting Russian hydrocarbons, is trying to extract their own oil to replace Russian oil and gas. He once again emphasized that these resources would not be used for the development of African countries, but for feeding wealthy Europeans.

Mutually beneficial trade

The COVID-19 pandemic and then the sanctions imposed by the Russia-Ukraine conflict are, in Ozerov’s opinion, not allowing the expected progress in trade between Moscow and Africa.

At the same time, we must understand that the West has actually cut Russia off from the international monetary and financial system, cut it off from the Swift financial message system, and has already made it impossible to use the dollar in our relations, he explained.

He explained, “This to some extent, contrary to what was planned by them, helps us build a new system of relations with the African continent, which will not be linked to the American currency, which is depreciating every day.”

The ambassador added that work is underway to harmonize trade in national currencies, a guideline that is being implemented with countries such as Egypt and South Africa, the main partners in the region, which also include Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria and others.

He stressed that the second problem that we are now solving, and we believe it will be successfully solved, is the creation of a new logistics system for the delivery of goods on a bilateral level.

The third issue to be solved is also very difficult, which is the establishment of direct air communications. We are now discussing all these issues with our African partners. We hope to achieve the first results just in time for the second Russian-African summit.

On the other hand, the diplomat stressed that despite the hostile measures of the West, from banning the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, which led to a global food crisis, the government of the Eurasian giant is still ready to deliver nearly 500,000 tons of as well as to supply those fertilizers withheld in European ports. .

Brief necessary

From July 26 to 29, the Russian city of St. Petersburg will host the second Russia-Africa Summit, and the Economic and Humanitarian Forum, events for which Moscow has prepared a series of documents that have been discussed with the relevant countries.

“In the most democratic way, we present to the African countries a draft final declaration that, in our opinion, in a manner acceptable to all countries of the continent and to Russia, will define the principles of relations at a new stage in the development of the world situation.

“It is characterized by a radical change in the international coordination system, when the dictates of one country or a bloc of Western countries become a thing of the past,” said Ozerov.

The diplomat added that during the event, issues related to cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, security, and humanitarian issues such as the development of science, education, health, culture, and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, among other issues, will be analyzed. for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The summit will be devoted to strengthening African countries. Russia will act as the provider or supplier of this sovereignty. In fact, it played this role historically when the foundations for Africa’s independence were laid and it is ready to play this role again,” Ozerov said.

arb/odf