The conference, ongoing now in Sochi aims to foster collaboration in security, economic, and humanitarian sectors.
This weekend, the inaugural Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum will take place in Sochi, establishing a new regular dialogue format following the Russia-Africa summits.
Scheduled for November 9-10 and organized by the Roscongress Foundation, the event will host over 40 ministers from various African nations.
According to a statement from Roscongress reported by TASS, approximately 1,500 participants are anticipated, including ministers responsible for foreign affairs, economy, healthcare, digital development, and education from countries such as Algeria, Angola, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Uganda, among others.
Additionally, senior representatives from the African Union and regional integration organizations will participate, along with stakeholders from Russian and African businesses, finance, academia, and media. The conference will include 19 panel discussions focused on cooperation in areas such as security, economics, skills development, digital governance, healthcare, and diplomatic training.
The agenda will address topics including the digitalization of public administration, educational partnerships, and collaborations within the Eurasian Economic Union. Bilateral consultations are also scheduled to occur alongside the conference, with a joint statement expected regarding the establishment of a fair international information security framework.
Russian presidential adviser Anton Kobyakov remarked that bilateral intergovernmental commissions focused on trade, economic, and scientific-technical collaboration have been established with numerous African nations. He emphasized that the upcoming event “will reinforce our agreements and mark another significant milestone in contemporary history.”
In the previous month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov revealed that several African countries had affirmed their attendance at the conference. He also noted that these nations have expressed interest in holding bilateral discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the ministerial gathering.