Sergey Lavrov's working trip to Africa
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
On the eve of his four-nation African tour from July 24 to 28, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, shared reflections on the prospects for Russia-African relations within the context of the current geopolitical and economic changes. He makes official working visits to Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Republic of the Congo. Before taking off from Moscow, he gave a joint interview to Russia Today television, Sputnik news agency and Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.
According
to Lavrov, Russia has long-standing good relations with Africa since
the days of the Soviet Union which pioneered and led a movement that
culminated in decolonization. Russia provided assistance to the national
liberation movement and then to the restoration of independent states
and the rise of their economies. Hundreds of enterprises were built,
which now form the basis of many African economies. At the United
Nations, Russia led the movement to have decolonization formalized as an
integral part of international law and everyday life.
"We
have been rebuilding our positions for many years now. The Africans are
reciprocating. They are interested in having us. We never engaged in
teaching them anything, but helped them overcome their problems so that
they could live in their country the way they wanted to," he told the
news agencies during the interview.
According
to the transcript, Lavrov explained that his ministry has been trying
to cover as many countries as possible. That his current visit includes
Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Republic of the Congo. Before the first
Russia-Africa Summit, he went to North Africa, and also in March 2018,
he visited Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
Our
monitoring and research show that Egypt is number one trade and
economic partner in Africa with trade just under $5 billion. The first
nuclear power plant is being built. The construction of a Russian
industrial area on the banks of the Suez Canal is nearing completion.
El-Dabaa
will be the first nuclear power plant in Egypt and the first major
project of Rosatom in Africa. El Dabaa NPP will comprise four units,
with each of them having a capacity of 1200 MW, equipped with a
Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor, considered to be the latest
technology for nuclear power plants, which has already been successfully
implemented in other countries.
Russia
and Egypt signed an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of
the country's first nuclear power plant in Cairo in November 2015. The
total cost of construction is $30 billion. The parties also signed an
agreement to provide Egypt with a state export loan of $25 billion for
the construction of the nuclear power plant, which will cover 85% of the
work.
The
remaining expenses should be covered by the Egyptian side by attracting
private investors. Under the agreement Egypt is to start payments on
the loan, which was provided at 3% per annum, in October 2029.
Lavrov
expressed optimism that relations with Africa have brighter prospects
now that the African Union decided last year to establish the African
Continental Free Trade Area. Specific criteria and tariffs for this area
are being agreed upon, which will take some time. This will benefit
Russia as Africa's rising partner in terms of boosting trade and
investment which are quite modest compared to the United States, China
and the European Union.
Records
show that Africa has a population over 1.3 billion people, which is
comparable to China and India. This is a great portion of the modern
world and probably the most promising market. That is why companies and
external countries with good vision are building long-term strategies
with regard to Africa, which is the continent of the future.
"We
have an excellent political foundation underlying our relations and a
good mutual understanding based on the fact that thousands of Africans
who hold positions in their respective governments have studied in
Russia and continue to do so. We need to use this human and political
capital to achieve economic advancement," Lavrov explained.
Russia
will deliver the contractually promised food, fertilizer, energy and
other commodities to its African friends, despite the difficulties
created by Western sanctions, Lavrov assured the continent in an op-ed
published across major African news outlets. Western and Ukrainian
propaganda accusing Moscow of trying to starve Africa is unfounded and
seeks to deflect their own blame, he said.
"We
are well aware of the importance of Russian supplies of socially
important commodities, including food, to many countries around the
world. We are mindful that these supplies play an important role in
preserving social stability," Lavrov said.
"It
is essential that all our African friends understand that Russia will
continue to fulfill in good faith its obligations under international
contracts with regard to exports of food, fertilizers, energy and other
goods vital for Africa," the Russian foreign minister wrote, adding that
Moscow is "taking all measures to this end."
Lavrov
reminded Africans that Russia is not "stained with the bloody crimes of
colonialism” on the continent, but has instead "sincerely supported
Africans in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression,"
over the years, including economic, military and educational assistance.
"Russia
does not impose anything on anyone or tell others how to live," Lavrov
argued. "We treat with great respect the sovereignty of the States of
Africa, and their inalienable right to determine the path of their
development for themselves."
Moscow's
principle of "African solutions to African problems" is in stark
contrast to the "master – slave" logic of the former colonial powers,
the Russian diplomat noted. Relations between Russia and African nations
are "of an intrinsic value and do not depend on fluctuations in the
international environment," Lavrov pointed out in closing: "It is good
to see that our African friends have a similar understanding with
Russia."
It
is, however expected that a wide range of important international and
regional issues will be discussed, with special emphasis on forming a
new international and regional agenda and building a new polycentric
architecture of interstate relations.
General
expectations are that Lavrov's meetings and talks in the African
capitals will allow for more detailed analysis of the current and future
prospects of trade, economic, investment, scientific, technological and
humanitarian ties. But one key aspect should be how to make strategic
efforts more effective, considering the existing experience of
constructive partnership and bilateral cooperation in Egypt, Uganda,
Ethiopia, Republic of the Congo, and, of course, the rest of Africa.
With
Russian government's preparedness to provide adequate funding,
President Vladimir Putin has appointed his aide Yury Ushakov as chairman
of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the
second Russia-Africa summit in Russia and now re-scheduled for 2023,
according to a presidential decree published on the government website.
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Sergey Lavrov's working trip to Africa
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh On the eve of his four-nation African tour from July 24 to 28, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, shared reflections on the prospects for Russia-African relations within the context of the current geopolitical an