An air of optimism pervades the air here at the ExpoForum in the ‘Venice of the North’, St. Petersburg as the second Russia-Africa Summit winds to a close today (Friday).
Plentiful bilateral talks have been held between the Summit host, Russian President Vladimir Putin and some of the 19 Presidents that have defied Western pressure and manipulation in the raging battle for alignment, to physically attend this Summit with their delegation in tow!
While Africa is an avowed adherent of the principle of non-alignment, growing pressures in the bipolar world order system dominated by the United States of America on the one hand and China on the other hand, is compelling many developing countries of the Global South to rethink their foreign policy positions!
Among the Presidents that Putin met on the Wednesday before he officially opened the Summit on Thursday (July 27th) were South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed as well as meeting the President of the New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – Dilma Rousseff, herself a former President of Brazil from 2011 to 2016.
Talks with Rousseff centred around the use of national currencies in financial settlements of international transactions, which Putin says is a key priority for both Russia and Africa. And indeed, Rousseff gave a positive report that there are “no obstacles in the use of national currencies”.
Considering the groundswell around ‘de-dollarisation’, and Putin’s accusations that the US has “weaponised the Dollar” – and this happens before next month’s BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, will certainly send shivers down the spine of the USA and its allies.
On Thursday, Putin officially opened the Russia-Africa Humanitarian and Economic Forum and Summit in a packed hall, whilst queues of other people lined outside the hall and at the security gates hoping to catch the event on time, but all in vain!
He was joined by Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, who is also President of the Union of the Comoros; President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank Benedict Oramah, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; as well as Dilma Rousseff of the BRICS bank, NDB.
Putin held talks on Thursday with Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has to contend with a national election next month; had breakfast with leaders of Africa’s regional organisations – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); the Arab Maghreb Union; Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa; East African Community (EAC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), all led by Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Putin has expressed his support for Africa to participate in the G20 as a full member, saying he expects the G20 to reach a decision on this matter at its September summit in New Dehli.
He met President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi and President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique and later with Azali Assoumani of Comoros but in his capacity as AU Chairperson, who expressed AU’s contempt for the coup in Niger.
Plentiful bilateral talks have been held between the Summit host, Russian President Vladimir Putin and some of the 19 Presidents that have defied Western pressure and manipulation in the raging battle for alignment, to physically attend this Summit with their delegation in tow!
While Africa is an avowed adherent of the principle of non-alignment, growing pressures in the bipolar world order system dominated by the United States of America on the one hand and China on the other hand, is compelling many developing countries of the Global South to rethink their foreign policy positions!
Among the Presidents that Putin met on the Wednesday before he officially opened the Summit on Thursday (July 27th) were South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed as well as meeting the President of the New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – Dilma Rousseff, herself a former President of Brazil from 2011 to 2016.
Talks with Rousseff centred around the use of national currencies in financial settlements of international transactions, which Putin says is a key priority for both Russia and Africa. And indeed, Rousseff gave a positive report that there are “no obstacles in the use of national currencies”.
Considering the groundswell around ‘de-dollarisation’, and Putin’s accusations that the US has “weaponised the Dollar” – and this happens before next month’s BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, will certainly send shivers down the spine of the USA and its allies.
On Thursday, Putin officially opened the Russia-Africa Humanitarian and Economic Forum and Summit in a packed hall, whilst queues of other people lined outside the hall and at the security gates hoping to catch the event on time, but all in vain!
He was joined by Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, who is also President of the Union of the Comoros; President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank Benedict Oramah, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia; as well as Dilma Rousseff of the BRICS bank, NDB.
Putin held talks on Thursday with Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has to contend with a national election next month; had breakfast with leaders of Africa’s regional organisations – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); the Arab Maghreb Union; Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa; East African Community (EAC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), all led by Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Putin has expressed his support for Africa to participate in the G20 as a full member, saying he expects the G20 to reach a decision on this matter at its September summit in New Dehli.
He met President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi and President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique and later with Azali Assoumani of Comoros but in his capacity as AU Chairperson, who expressed AU’s contempt for the coup in Niger.
