On July 28, in Pretoria, South Africa, the Valdai Discussion Club in partnership with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) held the 3rd Russian-African Conference. Second session examined the degree to which the historical legacy informs the current humanitarian agenda in Russia-Africa relations, explored approaches to assessing current cooperation initiatives, and considered the challenges and opportunities within these approaches.
12:00 – 13:30 Session 2. Humanitarian Cooperation and the Role of Historical Memory in Russia's Relations With South Africa and Other African Countries (live: English)
Key questions for discussion include:
What are the main humanitarian and cultural initiatives that Russia has pursued in South Africa and across Africa?
How are these initiatives being received by local actors and policymakers, and what tangible impacts have they achieved?
In what ways does the shared historical legacy—particularly the Soviet Union’s support for African liberation—continue to shape these humanitarian efforts?
How do African actors shape and articulate the humanitarian cooperation priorities in their engagement with Russia, and how are these locally driven perspectives integrated into the broader framework of Russia-Africa initiatives?
Read the Programme for details. All times are in Pretoria Time (GMT+2)