Putin woos African leaders at a Moscow summit aimed at expanding Russia-Africa ties

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin courted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit that wraps up Thursday as he seeks to bolster Moscow's clout across the continent.

Speaking during a meeting in the Kremlin on the second day of the summit, Putin said that “Russia and Africa are united by truly strong bonds of friendship and close partnership.”

“We are natural allies in building a multipolar, genuinely democratic world order, free from diktat and double standards and based on respect for the norms of international law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter,” Putin said.

He mentioned Moscow's support for the African nations' anti-colonial fight during Soviet times.

“Russia has always been and remains committed to seeing African nations defend their sovereignty, achieve steady growth, and strengthen their economies and social sectors,” the Russian leader said. “We stand ready to continue working together with you across all these areas to achieve these goals."

The summit marks a persistent effort by the Kremlin to expand ties with a continent of nearly 1.6 billion people that is increasingly assertive on the global stage. Africa’s 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations.

Moscow first hosted the Russia-Africa summit in 2019, and then again in 2023. This week’s summit drew nearly 50 African nations, about 20 of which were represented by their leaders.

Putin noted that Russia's trade with African countries topped $27 billion last year and vowed to expand it. He noted that Russian companies have pursued major investment projects in Africa in such spheres as energy, mining, industrial cooperation and logistics.

“Our business community approaches cooperation with African partners with honesty, respect, and integrity, conducting business on an equal footing,” Putin said.

“Rather than siphoning off profits in the manner of the colonial practices by former imperial powers, they reinvest their earnings into the development of your national economies, they readily share advanced technologies and expertise, broadly engage local subcontractors, and help create new production facilities and jobs," he said.

Putin emphasized Russia's role as a major supplier of grain and other agricultural products to African markets, casting it as a “concrete and tangible contribution to ensuring food security across the entire African continent.”

He said that Russia delivered over 18 million metric tons of grain to Africa last year, and another 13 million metric tons in the first nine months of this year. Russian exports of mineral fertilizers reached approximately 1.5 million metric tons last year, and have already exceeded 2.2 million metric tons so far this year.

Putin also mentioned Russia's assistance in the spheres of healthcare and education, noting that nearly 40,000 students from African nations are currently studying at Russian universities.

He specifically underlined Moscow's efforts to help African states in “maintaining internal stability and security, and in strengthening their defense and law enforcement capabilities,” adding that Russia has intergovernmental agreements on military and military-technical cooperation with 45 African countries.

As Russia competes with the United States, Europe and China for greater influence across Africa, it also has relied on its military contractors to strengthen its sway on many fronts, from the economy to security and politics.