Moscow – Russian companies are interested in relocating manufacturing operations to African countries to bypass Western sanctions, President Vladimir Putin told leaders from approximately 50 African nations on Thursday.
Speaking at the plenary session of the third Russia-Africa Summit in the Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin stated the relocations align with African interests to create local value chains. The summit, co-chaired by Putin and African Union Chair and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, operated under the motto “For peace, security and development.”
Ndayishimiye stated that Africa was not in Moscow to ask for help, but to strengthen a partnership with an “all-weather friend,” adding that Russia has supported the continent through “snow and rain.”
The political alignment was further contextualised during Wednesday’s Economic and Humanitarian Forum, where Putin stated that a multipolar world is becoming an irreversible reality. He noted that BRICS nations have produced over 40% of global GDP over the past five years, compared to less than 30% for the Group of Seven. Ndayishimiye echoed this, calling BRICS a major pole of the new economic reality and citing interest in cooperation from countries including Uganda and Nigeria.
Putin highlighted the continent’s demographic shift, citing United Nations forecasts that Africa’s population will exceed 2.5bn by 2050, with 70% under the age of 30. He also condemned Western financial practices, referencing former Burkina Faso President Thomas Sankara’s 1987 statement that “debt is neocolonialism” designed to conquer Africa through technical assistance.
To support expanding diplomatic ties, Russia has opened eight new embassies in Africa since the 2023 summit, bringing the total to 48, alongside six trade missions covering 16 countries. Putin added that Botswana, the Seychelles, and Togo intend to open embassies in Moscow shortly.
The session concluded with remarks from Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African Studies, who quoted former Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba: “In unity there is strength, and in division there is weakness.”
