The year of 2019 is the Year of Africa in Russia. The first Russia–Africa Summit, held in October 2019, marked a turning point in Russia’s new strategy to return to Africa and promote major initiatives to facilitate development on this continent.
Russia is increasingly focusing on Africa. For African leaders, Russia remains a main force in world politics. The key problem for them now is how to draw Russia’s attention to the advantages available in their countries rather than fall victim to the ‘geopolitical chess game’ played by other powers on the continent.
In this connection, any approach to relations with Africa in any area should imply ‘fine-tuning’ based on shared partnership interests, maintaining peace, security, and the sovereignty of all states involved in this cooperation, and a willingness to introduce all new mechanisms and approaches to provide for a dynamic equilibrium and structuring of geo-economic, geopolitical, and social processes.
