Latest news with #Russia-Africa
Al-Ahram Weekly
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Russia seeks expanding traditional, friendly relations with African partners: Putin - Africa
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated Moscow's commitment to strengthening its 'traditional friendly relations' with African nations, highlighting the importance of cooperation amid ongoing global challenges. Speaking on Africa Day, which falls on 25 May, Putin pointed to the Russia-Africa summits held in 2019 and 2023 as milestones that shaped new directions for bilateral cooperation and international coordination. Africa Day, which marks the day the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded in 1963, is observed across the continent and globally to commemorate African unity and liberation struggles. The African Union (AU) replaced the OAU on 25 May 2002. 'This year marks significant anniversaries — including 80 years since the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations, as well as 65 years since the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,' Putin said in a statement. 'The defeat of Nazism and the collapse of colonialism were pivotal moments that allowed for the peaceful development of all humanity.' He praised African countries for their growing influence on the global stage, citing achievements in economic and social development and the role of regional organizations like the African Union in promoting stability. Looking ahead, Putin confirmed that the next Russia-Africa Summit, to be held later this year in an African nation, will continue the partnership dialogue begun in previous summits. 'I am confident that through joint efforts, we will continue to deepen these multifaceted ties, benefiting our peoples and advancing a multipolar world order based on justice and democracy,' he added. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
First Post
30-04-2025
- Health
- First Post
Russia Planned to Send Expired COVID-19 Vaccines to Africa: Report Firstpost Africa
Russia Planned to Send Expired COVID-19 Vaccines to Africa: Report | Firstpost Africa | N18G Russia Planned to Send Expired COVID-19 Vaccines to Africa: Report | Firstpost Africa | N18G Newly leaked documents reveal a shocking plan by top Russian officials to send millions of expired COVID vaccines to Africa, disguised as humanitarian aid. The goal? To outpace U.S. influence during the 2022 Russia-Africa summit. The plot involved extending the shelf life of 6 million Sputnik Light doses without scientific backing. As the global vaccine race turns political, Africa once again becomes a battleground for foreign power plays. Watch this video to learn more. See More
Russia Today
24-04-2025
- Health
- Russia Today
Russia launches first epidemic response drills in Africa
Russia's health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, has collaborated with Ethiopia's Health Ministry to conduct simulation drills for rapid response to sanitary and epidemiological emergencies in Africa as part of efforts to enhance the continent's epidemic readiness. The inaugural Russian-African International Exercises for Rapid Response Teams began in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday, Rospotrebnadzor announced in a press release. The agency said medical experts and public health officials from 15 African nations, Russia, and global organizations are taking part in the exercises for hands-on training in managing disease outbreaks. According to the statement, Russian specialists will teach the principles of team formation, resource mobilization, epidemiological investigation, and international coordination skills using mobile laboratories that Moscow supplied to Addis Ababa. In an opening speech read on his behalf, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow's commitment to strengthening health partnerships with African countries, stating that the Ethiopia initiative 'undoubtedly takes our cooperation to a qualitatively new level.' 'The Russian Federation attaches great importance to the development of international cooperation to counter the threat of dangerous infectious diseases. African states have traditionally been important partners for us in this area,' Putin said. He noted that since the second Russia-Africa summit in July 2023, Moscow has launched a large-scale program to help African states in combating outbreaks. 'In less than two years, more than 150 African specialists have already been trained within the framework of this program, joint research is being conducted to study dozens of dangerous infections, and six mobile laboratories have been delivered to African countries,' Putin said. The program in Addis Ababa is the latest outcome of the Russia-Africa Summit, where both sides agreed to expand cooperation in various fields, including health. Rospotrebnadzor has since ramped up its activities. Russia donated a mobile laboratory to the Republic of the Congo in February, following an agreement between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso last year to establish a joint laboratory for infectious disease prevention. Russia has also provided assistance to Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Guinea, and Ethiopia in response to the mpox outbreak, which was declared a sanitary and epidemiological emergency last year. During recent talks with the deputy director general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Raji Tajudin, in Ethiopia, Rospotrebnadzor chief Anna Popova classified Africa as one of the regions most vulnerable to infectious disease risks.
Russia Today
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
African demand for Russian education hits new high
The number of African applicants to Russian agricultural programs has seen a dramatic rise over the past five years, Russia's federal agency for international cooperation told Izvestia on Friday. According to the news agency, applications from African nationals for agricultural studies at Russian universities have grown fivefold from 2020-25. At present, over 1,600 students from 45 African countries are enrolled in institutions operating under the Russian Ministry of Agriculture. Agronomy, veterinary medicine, and agricultural engineering are the most sought-after disciplines for the students, who are mainly from Cameroon, Mali, Algeria, and Egypt, the ministry said. The ministry noted that for the 2025/26 academic year, the Russian government has allocated 207 state-funded scholarships for African students – up from 120 in the previous academic year. Russia is also ready to broaden its export of agricultural technologies to assist African nations in bolstering food security, the Ministry of Agriculture said. 'There is significant potential for cooperation in the areas of genetics and breeding, the supply of veterinary medicines, plant protection products, agricultural machinery, and fertilizers,' it added. READ MORE: Fellowship: Why African students decide to connect their lives with Russia Russia's agricultural cooperation with African countries continues to grow, the ministry told Izvestia, adding that over the past five years, exports of Russian mineral fertilizers to the continent 'have more than doubled.' In December, RIA Novosti reported, citing the deputy speaker of the State Duma, Aleksandr Babakov, that Russian lawmakers provided the government with proposals on funding to support students from African countries. 'Deputies and experts have appealed to the Russian government with proposals to create mechanisms to finance and support educational programmes aimed at training personnel for African countries, including scholarships and grants for students from Africa,' Babakov said. Rossotrudnichestvo head Evgeny Primakov also highlighted the growing demand for Russian education, language, and cultural programs, noting that these agreements respond to requests from local communities. READ MORE: Russian MPs propose new funding for African students Speaking at the Russia-Africa summit in July 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a substantial expansion of educational support, stating that the number of federal scholarships for African students had grown by 150% over the preceding three years. According to Putin, more than 4,700 African students were set to receive these scholarships in 2024.
Russia Today
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
African state confirms return of Russian embassy
Niger has confirmed its intention to host a Russian embassy for the first time in over three decades, the West African country's foreign minister, Bakari Yaou Sangare, announced on Thursday. The statement came during a joint press conference in Moscow following talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his counterparts from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Sangare stated that Niger is currently searching for a suitable facility to house the new Russian diplomatic mission, adding that Niamey hopes Moscow will soon nominate an ambassador. 'All necessary decisions have been made,' the minister said. 'We had to close our embassy [in Russia] in the 1990s, and later realized that this was a mistake,' he remarked. READ MORE: Russia pledges defense support to African states Lavrov confirmed that both nations are on track to restore reciprocal diplomatic representation. 'In the very near future, with your help, we will complete all the organizational work for the return of our embassy. We will definitely do this in 2025,' the Russian foreign minister said. READ MORE: Why Russia keeps winning friends in Africa Niger's top diplomat added that the country's ambassador is already stationed in Moscow. At present, Russia's ambassador to Mali is also accredited to Niger. Russia previously operated an embassy in Niger, but it was shuttered in 1992 due to financial constraints. Niger's diplomatic mission in Moscow was likewise closed three years later. In December 2023, Moscow reopened its embassy in Burkina Faso after more than 30 years of closure. The same year, a new mission was launched in Equatorial Guinea. Earlier this year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Moscow intends to establish new embassies in several African nations, including Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. She said the relevant government decrees had been signed in late December, with formal openings expected in the near future. In March, the Comoros also approved the opening of a Russian embassy in its capital, Moroni. READ MORE: Missed this? The sneaky trends of 2024 that could flip Russia-Africa relations Beyond diplomatic re-engagement, Sangare highlighted deepening cooperation between the two countries in other areas. Speaking to RIA Novosti on Thursday, the minister revealed that talks between Nigerien authorities and Russia's state nuclear agency, Rosatom, on natural resource development had reached 'an advanced stage.' In November, Agence Nigerienne de Presse reported that Niger's authorities and Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, had signed an agreement in Niamey for the acquisition a communications satellite, an Earth observation satellite, and a radar satellite for defense and security purposes.
