The work of the first ministerial partnership forum between Russia and Africa was launched on Saturday, November 9, in Sochi, Russia. Moscow demonstrated rigorous selection by excluding any representation of the Polisario. According to the official list of participants, only delegations approved by the African Union and from sovereign member states were invited. This decision aligns with Russia’s approach of avoiding any diplomatic engagement that risks altering its bilateral relations with Morocco, one of Russia’s main partners in North Africa.
The first day of the forum opens with an intensive program, structured around 19 round tables and various thematic events, addressing various strategic issues. Among the planned topics, cooperation in the fight against terrorism figures prominently as well as the strengthening of economic partnerships and international information security.
Other discussions will deepen agricultural cooperation, strategies to combat infectious diseases in the health sector as well as prospects for geological exploration projects. A particularly anticipated moment of this forum will be a round table entitled “Russia – Africa: in the fight for the truth”. This exchange will bring together leading figures, such as Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this event will attract more than 1,500 participants, including more than 40 ministers representing different African countries. Work will continue until November 10, when a ministerial plenary session will close this major event.
