World
Russia Developing Stronger Beneficial Cooperation with Zimbabwe—Matviyenko
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
Russia and Zimbabwe continue to strengthen traditional ties after originating back in the period of the Zimbabwean people’s struggle for independence. All these years, the bilateral relations have continued to grow stronger and its further development cannot be under-estimated. Diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and Russia clocked 40 years.
These are the historical facts the Chairwoman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko and President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa acknowledged during their early June meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Matviyenko headed a delegation of Russian senators to Mozambique and continued to Zimbabwe where the Russia-Ukraine crisis dominated the discussions as well as new substantive topics on regional and international issues. Outstanding bilateral questions and how to implement them were also raised.
Besides all the historical diplomatic niceties, Matviyenko informed Emmerson Mnangagwa that inter-parliamentary ties are developing dynamically, Russia and Zimbabwe had agreed on a memorandum of cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation.
“I consider the practice of signing bilateral interdepartmental documents very useful, and it is necessary to open some of the aspects, as much as possible, in today’s difficult conditions, which is in the mutual state interests,” said the Chairwoman of the Federation Council.
On the Russia-Ukraine crisis that began on February 24, she noted the support that Zimbabwean colleagues provide to Russian foreign policy initiatives. “It is also important that Harare takes a balanced position in relation to the situation in Ukraine,” she said.
During the conversation, Matviyenko and Mnangagwa also discussed issues of expanding trade and economic ties between Russia and Zimbabwe.
“So far, the volume of mutual bilateral trade does not correspond to its potential.
“Therefore, the main task at this current stage is the creation of conditions for increasing the volume of trade and its diversification. Then, we proceed from the fact that the implementation of all these plans will be facilitated by joint fruitful work within the framework of the Intergovernmental Russian-Zimbabwean Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation,” explained Matviyenko.
Matviyenko and Mnangagwa, however, noted the Russia-Ukraine crisis worldwide, and issues related to food security.
Offering an assurance, she said: “Russia is ready to do everything possible to prevent a food crisis. We are ready to fulfil our contractual obligations in full. If Zimbabwe turns to Russia, we will work out a supply mechanism together and provide Zimbabwe with the necessary amount of food.”
With the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Zimbabwe Jacob Mudenda, the Chairwoman of the Federation Council stressed frequent interaction that gives a serious impetus not only to inter-parliamentary relations but to the entire range of Russia-Zimbabwean relations. According to her, both countries are actively interacting in the international arena based on compliance with international law and respect for the sovereignty of states.
Both reiterated the need to bring trade, economic and investment ties to a level that would correspond to political trusting relations. “We attach great importance to inter-parliamentary cooperation, which is designed to promote the implementation of agreements at the highest level, and we look forward to its further promotion,” she reiterated.
As Jacob Mudenda noted, mutual visits are very useful in terms of parliamentary diplomacy. According to him, the Zimbabwean parliament is working on legislative aspects in the field of expanding investment opportunities, speeding up the issuance of visas for foreign investors and reforming the tax regime for them.
Mudenda called on Russian companies and Russian entrepreneurs to expand cooperation with colleagues from Zimbabwe, in particular, in the field of agriculture, mining, and exploration of natural resources. He stated that the Zimbabwean colleagues would firmly support Russia on international parliamentary platforms.
During the meeting, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev informed the Zimbabwean parliamentarians about the work of the Russian delegation at the meeting of the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Indonesia.
Co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Russian-Zimbabwean Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlov informed about the results of the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission held the day before in Harare.
Zarubezhgeologiya, the operation of the international projects of Russian state company Rosgeo, might be brought in to work on the geological mapping of Zimbabwe, Russia’s Natural Resources Ministry said after a session of the Russia-Zimbabwe intergovernmental commission.
“In the course of meetings on the sidelines of the session, (Natural Resources Minister) Alexander Kozlov proposed to Zimbabwe’s Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando to engage Russian company Zarubezhgeologiya in work in the area of geological mapping. Zimbabwean colleague supported the idea and noted that the experience of Russian experts could be used in the creation of a joint geological digital database that has not been updated since the 1970s.
There was a raft of documents signed. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed decrees regarding memorandums on cooperation with Zimbabwe over diamonds and platinum group metals, according to documents published by the official internet portal of legislative information.
Besides that, Zimbabwe has asked Russia for larger supplies of agricultural products and for deliveries of petroleum products, Alexander Kozlov said after a fourth meeting of the Russian-Zimbabwean Intergovernmental Commission in Harare.
“The government of Zimbabwe has proposed to increase the volumes of wheat and vegetable oil supplies and start deliveries of petroleum products,” Kozlov said. Therefore, it was suggested that the Zimbabwean agriculture and energy ministries draft a specific request that would indicate the number of additional deliveries and the logistical chains, he said.
The share of agrarian products in Russia’s exports has been growing in recent years, mainly due to wheat and mineral fertilizers, Kozlov said. According to the Union of Grain Exporters, Russia supplied 11,900 tonnes of wheat to Zimbabwe in 2021 up from 810 tonnes in 2019.
In conversation with the Russian-Zimbabwean inter-parliamentary groups, Chairwoman of the Senate of the Republic of Zimbabwe Mabel Chinomona and Speaker Matviyenko exchanged views on a wide range of Russia-Zimbabwean inter-parliamentary cooperation and further noting that at the current stage, there is a stable and trusting political dialogue established between the two parties.
Russia and Zimbabwe are successfully interacting in the international arena on the basis of closeness or identity of positions on topical international and regional problems. “For its part, Russia has always supported Zimbabwe in the struggle to strengthen national sovereignty, defending its right to an independent course of development,” both agreed with this view.
They highly appreciated the existing opportunities for intensifying Russia-Zimbabwean inter-parliamentary relations. “One of the tools could be the conclusion of a Cooperation Agreement between the Federation Council and the Senate of the Republic of Zimbabwe. On the basis of this document, Matviyenko and Mabel Chinomona suggested could jointly implement a kind of what they termed “parliamentary patronage” in the development of contacts between the business circles – providing the necessary assistance in their activities.
There was then a proposal to sign an inter-parliamentary agreement outlining the priorities of the Russia-Zimbabwean agenda as the continuation of consistent work to develop the legal framework for bilateral relations, for instance, the possibility of broad cooperation in the field of healthcare, education and the humanitarian field.
The Chairwoman of the Federation Council supported the idea of the Zimbabwean side to install a monument dedicated to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 on the territory of the African Liberation Museum being created in Harare.
Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Russian Federation Natalya Bocharova briefed the Zimbabwean parliamentarians on Russian initiatives in the field of humanitarian cooperation.
Valentina Matvienko and Mabel Chinomona took part in the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe on cooperation in the field of scientific, scientific, technical and innovative activities. Matvienko finally stressed that Russia is interested in developing mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries of the African continent, and added that “This is one of the foreign policy priorities of the Russian Federation.”
According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia-Zimbabwean interaction is based on strong ties of friendship and cooperation, which developed during the struggle of the people for independence, and which continue to develop today. Zimbabwe is one of the 16-member Southern African Development Community.
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
