MOSCOW (Shahid Ghumman): The third Russia-Africa summit and the Economic and Humanitarian Forum will begin tomorrow, 28 October, in the Russian capital Moscow, with delegations from 48 African countries expected to attend. Twenty-two countries will be represented by heads of state. At the two-day summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and African leaders will discuss important international issues including the global political situation, economic cooperation, trade, investment, energy, food security and regional security.
The central theme of this important international gathering in Moscow is to further strengthen the partnership between Russia and African countries for peace, security and development. Alongside the summit, the Economic and Humanitarian Forum will also be held, in which business figures, investors, government officials, experts and media representatives from Russia and Africa will take part.
The opening ceremony of the forum will be held on 28 October at Moscow’s historic Gostiny Dvor, and will be addressed by President Putin and the President of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, whose country currently holds the presidency of the African Union. The opening session will focus on economic relations between Russia and African countries, cooperation in the energy sector, agricultural production, infrastructure development and new investment opportunities.
On the occasion of the summit, the Russian President and African leaders will also visit a special exhibition on modern technology and industrial development, where products of Russian companies and technical capabilities in various sectors will be presented. The Russian leadership will also host a reception in the Kremlin in honour of the foreign guests.
The main proceedings of the third Russia-Africa summit will take place on 29 October at the Grand Kremlin Palace, where President Putin and African leaders will take part in two important sessions. These sessions will discuss in detail changes in the global political and economic system, the establishment of a multipolar world, the sovereignty of states, the role of African countries in international institutions and the future of Russia-Africa cooperation.
A programme of bilateral meetings between President Putin and around 20 African leaders has also been arranged during the summit. They include Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso and heads of state of other African countries. These meetings are expected to discuss bilateral trade, energy, investment, defence and technical cooperation and the regional situation.
Around four thousand business figures have been invited to the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, while more than forty business and thematic sessions are programmed. These sessions will examine possibilities of cooperation in various sectors including natural resources, oil and gas, peaceful use of nuclear energy, industry, transport, agriculture, food security, health, education, science, digital technology and artificial intelligence.
The forum will also discuss the global financial system, alternative methods of trade payments, infrastructure development in African countries and promotion of Russian investment. Special programmes have also been arranged to strengthen links among young people, educational institutions and scientific organisations.
The Russia-Africa Media Forum in Moscow is also part of the programme, in which representatives of Russian and African media will discuss topics such as the global information system, journalistic cooperation, modern media technology and preventing the spread of misinformation.
According to Russian officials, economic relations between Russia and African countries have grown significantly in recent years, and bilateral trade volume exceeded 27 billion US dollars in 2025. Russia is among the important countries supplying grain, mineral fertilisers, energy products and industrial equipment to African countries, while both sides wish to increase cooperation in agriculture, mineral resources and infrastructure projects.
Russia is also giving special importance to cooperation with African countries in the field of food security. According to Russian figures, more than 18 million tonnes of grain were supplied to African countries in 2025, while in the first nine months of the current year this quantity was 13 million tonnes. An increase has also been recorded in the supply of mineral fertilisers.
At the end of the summit, a joint declaration on cooperation between Russia and African countries, a document on cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and an action plan for the partnership for 2027 to 2029 are expected to be approved. More than thirty agreements and memorandums of understanding between various government institutions and organisations are also likely to be signed.
The Russia-Africa summit began in 2019 in the Russian city of Sochi, while the second summit was held in St Petersburg in July 2023. At these summits, a number of decisions were taken to promote political, economic, educational, scientific and cultural relations between Russia and African countries.
The third summit being held in Moscow is taking place at a time when Russia is trying to further expand its economic and diplomatic relations with African countries. Along with reviewing progress on agreements reached in previous years, new priorities for cooperation for the next three years are also expected to be set at the summit.
About The Author
