World
Africa Still Strategic Partner for Russia—Amarasinghe
After the first Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi, Russia and Africa have opened a new chapter in their relationship. Russia and Africa, during the summit, pledged to take significant steps in raising, both at a bilateral level and in various multilateral formats, cooperation in many spheres. Since the collapse of the Soviet era, Russia has played a low key-diplomacy there, now that is set to change.
For nearly those three decades, many foreign players have been attracted to Africa, primarily, because Africa is steadily striding along the road of socioeconomic and technological progress, and is playing an increasing role in addressing issues on the international agenda.
In this interview taken by Kester Kenn Klomegah for Eurasia Review, Punsara Amarasinghe, who previously held a research fellowship at Faculty of Law, Higher School of Economics in Moscow and now a PhD candidate in Law from Scuola Superiore Universitaria Sant’Anna di Pisa in Italy, discusses some aspects of Russia-African relations.
Amarasinghe further noted that Russia, despite high competition on the continent among many foreign players, could contribute to the sustainable development of African countries. Here are the excerpts:
What is your interpretation of Africa, in practical terms, as a strategic partner for Russia?
Africa has always been a great partner even before Soviet Union emerged. We cannot forget Pushkin’s grandfather was an African …! Nevertheless, the modern importance of Africa as a strategic partner for Russia mainly arises from the way how West has neglected African countries, whereas Russia sees Africa as a better platform to restore its power projection. Russian ventures in Africa can be further bolstered from accessing natural resources and also Russia is the largest arm supplier to Africa. In fact, some Russians have been recruited by Africa states as security advisors.
In the Soviet era, relationship was that of solidarity to confront western capitalism and dominance. What is your reaction to this position? Now, is it strategic business rivalry and/or competition?
In Soviet era, African and Asian states looked for Moscow as a sanctuary, and in return USSR provided many assistance to Africa. Soviet military supply to Egypt was just an example. In addition, Soviet ideology continued to influence upon African youth through Lumumba University.
The reason interest of Russia in Africa cannot be exactly considered a revival of old relationship based on ideology. It is rather a new interest relevant to global realities. As an example, Russia is not the only key player in Africa and we need to understand Chinese have made heavy investment across Africa and China has already established its military presence in Djibouti. In that context, modern interest of Russia in Africa is much strategic than what USSR used to maintain.
Russia’s trade has increased but it is, largely, one-sided. In your opinion, what could be possible reasons why Africa’s trade and other forms of economic presence still low in the Russian Federation?
I think this mainly due to the lack of organizational skills of foreign services. You need to understand that economic presence and getting the maximum economic benefits are always rooted in the power of bargaining from bureaucracy. Especially in a situation, where small countries are dealing with a super power, the bureaucracy of small powers always need to walk an extra mile. This purely visible when Sri Lankan authorities had to push Russia for a fair deal of exporting Sri Lankan tea to Russia in 2017.
Assess Russia’s possible role the sustainable development, as business, in Africa?
Russia is a state always choses realpolitik in its global relations. From a theoretical IR perspective, Russia has chosen strict realism in its relations. Especially, new Russia under Putin strives for more practical benefits rather than seeking ideal outcomes.
However, we cannot entirely discard Russia as a country who has no interest in sustainable development goals as 2015 UN sustainable development goals already have been a part of Russian national agenda. It’s a pity that Russian presence in Africa has much business objectives than preserving sustainability. The recently held Sochi summit was an example for it as it’s played a key role in increasing Russian arm deals in Africa.
At least during the past decade, Russia has a plethora of bilateral agreements still not fully implemented in Africa. In Sochi, Russia and Africa have further signed Summit Declaration. What are your final comments here?
Lack of implementation of agreements is not only a problem that appears only in Africa, even the bilateral agreements signed between Russia and some of South Asian states have not yet been fully implemented. However, the as I stated earlier, Sochi summit was not a just meeting as Russia has shown a serious interest in “competition for cooperation” in Africa, in the recent past through military cooperation and seeking access to natural resources.
How should African leaders show reciprocal support for Russia’s renewed interest in the continent, especially in SDGs in Africa?
The rapport maintained by Moscow with African states during USSR used to be much mutually beneficial one for both parties than how West exploited Africa’s resources. However, the decline of USSR curtailed Russia’s presence in the continent. Yet, the there are some elites still involved in the state machineries in African states who have the nostalgia for Soviet legacy. In such a context, latest interest sparked in Moscow towards renewing their ties with African states has some significance.
In particular, modern Russia will use their old influences to penetrate into Africa. But we need to understand that the geo-political map has been changed in Africa since its past as again Africa has become a place for scramble among modern super powers. As an example, there is a strong French military presence in Mali and US too has its influence over Africa through its permeant base in Djibouti. In such a win-win situation, leaders in African states should reciprocate to Russia alliance without betraying their sovereignty.
In terms of accepting the deal coming from Moscow, African leaders need to be much cautious about the demands of Russia. Since Russia fell under sanctions and also since its confrontation with West, Russia has been putting a great strength to make its relations formidable in Asia and African regions. However, the vision of African leaders must be much focused on gaining Russian support without agitating other powers. It is a fact beyond doubt, still Africa receives more foreign aid from the EU and World Bank and making an unconditional rapport with Moscow may hinder Africa’s relations with the West.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Accessing the US Dollar in the East Africa region has now been made easier with the expansion of the stablecoin settlement infrastructure of SCRYPT.
This development enables banks, payment providers and corporate treasury teams to move value into and out of the continent in real time.
Businesses paying international suppliers frequently have to convert local currency into USD before purchasing stablecoins for settlement, incurring FX conversions and spreads before any payment is made.
But SCRYPT is eliminating this intermediate conversion by enabling direct settlement corridors for local African currencies into stablecoins.
This development allows businesses to move from local currency to stablecoin settlement in a single licensed transaction, without first sourcing rationed bank dollars, as stablecoins are increasingly becoming settlement infrastructure rather than an investment product.
The expansion adds settlement support across four African currencies: the Kenyan shilling (KES), Tanzanian shilling (TZS), Rwandan franc (RWF) and Ugandan shilling (UGX). Each corridor is delivered through the same full-stack infrastructure our clients already use for trading, custody and treasury operations.
Speaking on this, the chief executive of SCRYPT, Norman Wooding, said, “Across Africa, stablecoin adoption is driven by economic need, not speculation.
“Businesses here are not chasing yield; they are trying to pay suppliers and manage treasury without losing margin to a banking system that rations dollars. Licensed, fair-rate dollar access is the clearest proof of what this infrastructure is for.”
Also commenting, the Managing Director of Markets & Trading at SCRYPT, Mr Gabriel Titopoulos, said, “Until now, reaching stablecoins from local African currencies meant buying scarce dollars and incurring several layers of conversion costs.
“SCRYPT removes this friction. Firms and payment providers can now settle straight from local currencies through live corridors, with local partners.”
World
African Graduates Association Promoting Multifaceted Initiatives With Russian Educational Institutions
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
In preparations for the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late October 2026, Dr Francois Ngan, deputy chairman of the Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities, during an official working visit, has held a consultative meeting with Professor Vladimir Filippov, the President of the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN), and former Minister of Higher Education of Russia, Chairman of the National Commission for Accreditation of Higher Education.
RUDN is an educational institution established in 1960, primarily to provide higher education to Third World students. It has now become a popular multidisciplinary spot for many students, especially from developing countries. The university offers various academic programmes and has research infrastructure that comprises laboratories and interdisciplinary centres. The university is named after the former Congolese leader, Patrice Lumumba.
Dr Francois Ngan and Professor Filippov discussed the importance of the Graduates Association as a continental platform dedicated to strengthening unity, cooperation, and promoting shared progress among African graduates who studied in the former Soviet Union and in the Russian Federation. They also reviewed multifaceted initiatives that could bring together alumni associations from across Africa, whose members obtained education and professional training, and cultural experiences in Soviet and Russian institutions of higher learning.
Professor Filippov expressed optimism in addressing emerging challenges as a result of shifting geopolitical changes, emphasised strategic cooperation in the educational sphere with Africa, in general, and with the Republic of Cameroon, in particular, and further about the integration of African students during their studies in the Russian Federation.
The meeting also touched on academic and scientific work, the possibility of rewriting a scientific thesis, and the official organisation of transferring versions translated into six languages for the library of RUDN. Significant questions relating to Russia’s educational opportunities, collaborations and partnerships involving African countries were thoroughly discussed.
The Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities was created under one continental umbrella to promote friendship, for professional networking, to engage in cultural exchange, and with particular emphasis on forging strategic cooperation between Africa and Russia.
World
Russia to Support Industrial Growth, Technological Advancement and Supply Chain Resilience across Africa
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
With the heightening of geopolitical rivalry and competition, a new Russia-Africa working group has emerged as a significant institutional mechanism and plans to focus on facilitating and monitoring strategic investments, industrialisation, and infrastructural development—the Strategic Action Plan 2023-2026—that was outlined during the second Russia-Africa summit, in St.Petersburg, the second largest city in the Russian Federation.
While substantial progress has, largely, lagged on the multidimensional economic front with Africa primarily due to its internal difficulties and the complexity of relations with its former Soviet neighbours, Russian officials believe there still remains huge untapped potential in strengthening bilateral cooperation. As planned, President Vladimir Putin has already signed an executive order that directs Moscow to host the forthcoming third Russia-Africa summit in October 2026.
On June 30, a regular meeting of the Business Council on Africa was held under the chairmanship of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry. It was dedicated to issues of trade, economic and investment cooperation with Africa. The group discussed the current state and prospects for the implementation of policy initiatives with an emphasis on assisting the countries of the continent, strengthening their economic, energy, technological and food sovereignty, as well as training specialists for Africa.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated that Russia-Africa relations primarily depend on an understanding of the importance of collective action based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and resolving common tasks. In the past few years, Russia-Africa cooperation has been noticeably strengthening. “We are deepening political dialogues, developing bilateral contacts with African countries, promoting cordial cooperation between ministries and departments, and expanding humanitarian exchanges. We are also continuing the structural diversification of trade partnerships and economic dimensions.”
“Next on the agenda is the launch of diplomatic missions in The Gambia, Liberia, Togo, and the Union of the Comoros,” Lavrov said at a meeting of the Business Council under the Russian foreign minister. Lavrov noted that Russian embassies began operating in three other African countries in 2025: Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. A new Department for Partnership with Africa was also established. According to the top diplomat, “expanding Russia’s diplomatic presence on the continent contributes to developing relations.”
There are already 45 Russian embassies operating in Africa. The Russian foreign minister noted that Moscow is quickly rebuilding its presence in African countries, which sharply declined during the collapse of the Soviet Union. “There will be literally four or five countries left where we still need to establish full-fledged embassies, and then, we will have 100 per cent coverage of the entire African continent with our diplomatic presence,” Lavrov emphasised.
After the first summit in October 2019, the Foreign Ministry also created the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. Its main tasks include controlling the roadmap to Africa’s multidimensional cooperation and guiding potential Russian investors to the continent. This also underscored the priority and post-Soviet solidarity Russia currently attaches to its policy towards Africa, within the growing framework of the emerging new architecture of multipolarity in the Global South.
In an interview in June 2026, the director of the Department of Partnership with Africa at the Foreign Ministry, Tatyana Dovgalenko, shared a few insights in the lead-up to the third summit. Furthermore, Dovgalenko explained that Russia would move away from security to concentrate more on economic issues, especially to team up with African colleagues to streamline mechanisms for implementing projects that will ensure food security and agriculture, and help Africa in installing processing facilities to support its self-sufficiency. She also emphasised energy and vital infrastructures, and the third direction was to simultaneously work more coherently with sub-regional organisations.
Over the past few years, bilateral relations have been increasing. There are positive dynamics in trade turnover, estimated at $30 billion. Steps are being taken to build payment systems, preferably in national currencies, while Russia looks to open four more diplomatic offices, bringing the total to 48 across Africa. Russia is currently training 37,000 African students, but only approximately 1/3 on state scholarships in Russia’s educational institutions. “We are ready to share valuable experiences of building a sovereign development model with African partners to achieve self-reliant economic growth based on their own resources and capabilities. Russia aims at creating processing capabilities and localising production, and provides access to advanced technological solutions,” underlined Dovgalenko in her interview with New Eastern Outlook.
For African countries that have endured difficult decades on the path to political independence, it is now important to take full control over the untapped resources, direct income and revenue toward stimulating the national economic sector, rather than paying for the well-being of the Western “golden billion” during this changing geopolitical era, according to Dovgalenko.
According to reports, the forthcoming Russia-Africa summit will have an economic agenda, including the digital economy, technology, artificial intelligence, healthcare, investment, and settlements in global trade. Of course, the agenda will also cover Africa’s political aspects. But if African friends bring along any specific ideas, Russia will give them serious attention. In addition, with continuity and consistency, pay increased attention to expanding ties with Africa’s regional integration associations.
Going forward, the focus will be on translating strong trade relations into deeper investment partnerships, fostering technology collaboration, strengthening industrial linkages and contributing towards the shared objectives set by the leadership of both African countries and Russia. At the third summit, the above-mentioned specific initiatives will be further designed. In this regard, the key document, the new action plan for the next three-year period (2027-2029), is intended to reflect dynamic realities in the future relations of Russia and Africa
