ST. PETERSBURG, /TASS/. Africa’s political and economic role “has been growing exponentially,” as the continent is becoming a new center of power, and all countries will have to reckon with that, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a plenary meeting of the Russia-Africa Summit on Friday.
“We are witnessing the African continent becoming a new center of power. Its political and economic role has been growing exponentially, and everybody will have to reckon with this objective reality,” he said.
Putin pointed to the African peace initiative on Ukraine as an indicator of the continent’s increased role. “That says a lot as, previously, any mediatory missions were the exclusive monopoly of the so-called developed democracies,” the Russian leader emphasized.
The second Russia-Africa Summit is taking place at St. Petersburg’s Expoforum on July 27-28, in parallel with an economic and humanitarian forum. Similar to the first such summit in 2019, the event is being held under the rubric “For Peace, Security and Development.” The event is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the event’s official information partner and photo-hosting agency.
Russia and African countries jointly favor building a more just global architecture, and their positions on most international issues are very close or coincide completely, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the Russia-Africa Summit on Friday.
“Russia and African nations jointly stand for forming a more just world order as they jointly defend international law, the UN Charter and the central role of this global organization,” the Russian leader said.
In addition, Russia and countries on the African continent “have been seeking to coordinate [their] stances on key international issues,” Putin maintained. “Characteristically, our positions are very close or completely coincide on many of these [issues],” he underscored.
According to the Russian president, this idea is reflected in the key provisions of a political declaration that has already been drafted and will be signed at the culmination of the second Russia-Africa Summit, which is being held in St. Petersburg on July 27-28.
