In Sochi, Vladimir Putin promises “full support” to African countries “in different areas”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a “full support” from Moscow to African countries, Sunday November 10, during a Russia-Africa ministerial conference in Sochi (South-West).

“Our country will continue to provide its full support to our African friends in different areas”he declared in an address read by his head of diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, to the conference participants. It could be “sustainable development, the fight against terrorism and extremism, against epidemic diseases, the resolution of food problems or the consequences of natural disasters”he continued.

This conference, organized with senior officials from African countries on Saturday and Sunday on the shores of the Black Sea, follows two Russia-Africa summits which took place in 2019, in Sochi, and in 2023, in Saint Petersburg. According to Sergei Lavrov, thanks to “rhythm that was given” through these two summits, Russian-African relations are strengthening ” more and more “. “We see progress in all areas” cooperation, he welcomed.

Through this conference, the Kremlin intends to provide a new illustration of “multipolar world” that he wants to promote in his face-to-face with Westerners. It takes place after the BRICS summit in October, in Kazan (Russia), where Vladimir Putin wanted to demonstrate the failure of the policy of isolation and sanctions initiated against his country by Western countries after the Russian assault in Ukraine , in February 2022.

For several years, Russia, which was a key player in Africa during the Soviet era, has been pushing its pawns into African countries, where its rhetoric against “neocolonialism” and for “a fairer world order” resonates with many of the continent's leaders.