Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at the opening session of the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, Sochi, November 10, 2024

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are delighted to welcome you to the plenary session of the inaugural Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum.

First, let me undertake an important task of conveying the message of greetings from President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

* * *

To the participants of the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum

Friends,

I extend my greetings to you on the occasion of the opening of the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, convened following the decision made at last year’s Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg.

African countries are gaining increasing recognition on the global stage. By pursuing a constructive, peace-oriented foreign policy, they are playing a progressively significant role in addressing the most crucial issues on the international agenda.

For its part, Russia places particular importance on strengthening its traditionally friendly relations with African partners. We are united in our aspiration to establish a just multipolar world order, one that is grounded in true equality and the rule of international law, and free from any form of discrimination, coercion, and sanctions pressure.

The cooperation between the Russian Federation and African states is becoming increasingly comprehensive and multidimensional, which is fully evidenced by the substantive programme of this Ministerial Conference.

Throughout the two-day dialogue, foreign ministers will not only examine various aspects of the implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026 but also identify new, promising areas for constructive cooperation.

I would like to reaffirm that our country will continue to provide all possible assistance to our African friends across various domains: in ensuring sustainable development, combating terrorism and extremism, countering epidemic diseases, addressing food security challenges, and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters.

I am confident that the proceedings of the conference will be successful and fruitful, and that the agreements reached will contribute to further strengthening of the entire scope of Russian-African ties for the benefit of our nations and peoples.

Vladimir Putin

* * *

Colleagues,

We have heard the statements from the presidents of Russia and Mauritania, the latter representing the African Union in its chairing capacity. The objectives outlined in these documents should form the foundation of our work today, enabling us to align our positions on the most pressing issues on the international agenda and discuss the implementation of the instructions given by our leaders at last year’s summit in St Petersburg. It is crucial to jointly identify areas of cooperation where additional efforts are necessary.

We are pleased to note that the momentum set by the two previous summits is facilitating the progressive development of our relations. We observe advancements across all areas.

I note a significant increase in the number of high-level and ministerial contacts. In particular, during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of this conference, agreements have been reached on a number of specific projects, with various agreements and memoranda signed across different sectors.

Our trade and economic cooperation is advancing. In 2023, we achieved a historic peak in trade turnover, amounting to $24.5 billion. Yet, it is evident that this figure does not fully reflect our potential, which must be maximised. Despite artificial obstacles imposed by the collective West, we continue to enhance business support mechanisms, identify efficient logistics solutions, and employ new instruments for mutual settlements that are resilient to negative external interference.

Sectoral and cultural ties are developing dynamically. This is demonstrated by the diverse range of topics addressed in the 18 panel discussions of our conference’s business programme, which took place over the past two days. These topics include the peaceful use of outer space, efforts to ensure security in all its dimensions, development of essential sectors of trade and economic cooperation, personnel training, healthcare (including the fight against epidemics), media issues, youth exchanges, and much more.

Following our discussion today, the declaration we are to endorse will establish new objectives and incorporate ideas that merit reporting to our presidents as part of the preparations for the forthcoming third Russia-Africa Summit.