World
Valdai Forum In Tanzania: African Expert On Dynamics And Perspectives Of Russian-African Relations
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
The second Russian-African conference of the Valdai Club Foundation was held on July 24 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in East Africa. Held under the theme: “Russia – Africa: Strategy for Cooperation in a Multipolar World,” the conference gathered more than 40 experts from Russia and Africa. Its primary aim was to identify new tasks for the research activities on African topics, the areas of substantive cooperation and aspects of new partnership.
The Valdai Club’s pre-conference report underscored the fact that already a year after the St. Petersburg summit, “a confidential and frank expert dialogue seems appropriate in promoting mutual cooperation and effectively implementing the tasks set at the summit.” Reminder: St. Petersburg summit declared ‘Action Plan 2023-2026’ within which to implement those several agreements signed.
In this insightful policy interview, Mikatekiso Kubayi, Researcher at the Institute for Global Dialogue associated with UNISA, Research Fellow: Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation, Doctoral Candidate, Political Studies, University of Johannesburg, after the 2nd Russian-African conference in Tanzania, offers his expert thoughts and, further discusses the results, expectations and aspects of the challenges that starkly remain in the Russian-African relations. Here are the interview excerpts:
As one of the participating experts, what were some of the most significant questions raised during the July 24th roundtable discussions held in Dar es Salaam, on Russia and Africa?
There were many interesting and important questions. Chief among them were questions on the exact priority areas for African development, technical capacity and development, Financing, and Trade. The roundtable sought to find and even innovate opportunities for collaboration and how to improve mutual gain from each other’s competitive advantage. This was at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
Why Russia’s efforts to regain its economic influence have achieved little tangible (visible) success, why is soft power softer than in Soviet days?
The question is, ‘What would constitute visible success?’. The history of Russia’s engagement with Africa is well recorded. The development of global trade and the politics of global finance is also well-recorded. Africa’s challenges have been and continue to occupy high priority in the global discourse on global reforms, debt and its stifling servicing costs, and so on. Would a visible success constitute Africa’s overnight transformation into the Africa we want? Perhaps the focus should be on Africa’s interest in genuine development partnerships rather than be ‘influenced.’ That is what the relationship is about.
In your expert view, Russia’s economic power, its global status and its staunch membership of the ‘informal association’ – BRICS, how did the Dar es Salaam gathering assess its current investment and business engagement with Africa?Russia is keen to participate in areas that African partners identify as a priority. Technology, Agriculture, Energy, Education, and Health are priority areas. Opportunities for joint efforts, such as in R&D and other collaborative efforts, are explored.
What were some of the setbacks and obstacles identified? Did the gathering also map out strategic pathways to enhance engagement in the economic sectors in Africa?
I believe this was the first roundtable organized in Africa by Valdai in this format and on this issue. The first step has been to engage and explore what has not been done and what can be done. These are two economies with limited financial resources yet many human (intellectual) and natural resources endowments; notwithstanding sanctions and developmental challenges, there was a shortage of joint exploration of priority areas of cooperation, coupled with consistent effort.
We’ve been talking about economic diplomacy between Russia and Africa. And it’s also important to look at the relations as a two-way street. Could you please explain possible reasons why African economic presence is extremely low, compared to Asian countries, in the Russian Federation?
One could argue that its limited presence in the Russian Federation mirrors its development, levels of trade, and other areas that are accepted as needing improvement. The Asian continent has India, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other economies that have gone through massive development spurts and can leverage particular competitive advantages gained. Africa will also get there.
How do you see the future pathways? What would you finally say about the results of the Valdai’s conference in Dar es Salaam, under the theme: Russia – Africa: Strategy for Cooperation in a Multipolar World?
A lot was identified as actionable areas. These areas will be carried forward as policy recommendations, material for track one diplomacy to take forward and for track two diplomacy to research and develop further in areas such as the application of technology in both regional and national value chains, investments in domestic production according to identified priority and strategic areas, joint efforts such as in research and development.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
At the end of an extensive consultation with African foreign ministers, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has emphasized that Moscow would advance its economic engagement across Africa, admittedly outlining obstacles delaying the prompt implementation of several initiatives set forth in Strategic Action Plan (2023-2026) approved in St. Petersburg during the Russia-Africa Summit.
The second Ministerial Conference, by the Russian Foreign Ministry with support from Roscongress Foundation and the Arab Republic of Egypt, marked an important milestone towards raising bilateral investment and economic cooperation.
In Cairo, the capital city of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Lavrov read out the final resolution script, in a full-packed conference hall, and voiced strong confidence that Moscow would achieve its strategic economic goals with Africa, with support from the African Union (AU) and other Regional Economic blocs in the subsequent years. Despite the complexities posed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, combined with geopolitical conditions inside the African continent, Moscow however reiterated its position to take serious steps in finding pragmatic prospects for mutual cooperation and improve multifaceted relations with Africa, distinctively in the different sectors: in trade, economic and investment spheres, education and culture, humanitarian and other promising areas.
The main event was the plenary session co-chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptians Abroad Bashar Abdelathi. Welcome messages from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdelhak Sisi were read.
And broadly, the meeting participants compared notes on the most pressing issues on the international and Russian-African agendas, with a focus on the full implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026, approved at the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg in 2023.
In addition, on the sidelines of the conference, Lavrov held talks with his African counterparts, and a number of bilateral documents were signed. A thematic event was held with the participation of Russian and African relevant agencies and organizations, aimed at unlocking the potential of trilateral Russia-Egypt-Africa cooperation in trade, economic, and educational spheres.
With changing times, Africa is rapidly becoming one of the key centers of a multipolar world order. It is experiencing a second awakening. Following their long-ago political independence, African countries are increasingly insisting on respect for their sovereignty and their right to independently manage their resources and destiny. Based on these conditions, it was concluded that Moscow begins an effective and comprehensive work on preparing a new three-year Cooperation and Joint Action Plan between Russia and Africa.
Moreover, these important areas of joint practical work are already detailed in the Joint Statement, which was unanimously approved and will serve as an important guideline for future work. According to reports, the Joint Statement reflects the progress of discussions on international and regional issues, as well as matters of global significance.
Following the conference, the Joint Statement adopted reflects shared approaches to addressing challenges and a mutual commitment to strengthening multifaceted cooperation with a view to ensuring high-quality preparation for the third Russia-Africa Summit in 2026.
On December 19-20, the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Cairo, Egypt. It was held for the first time on the African continent, attended by heads and representatives of the foreign policy ministries of 52 African states and the executive bodies of eight regional integration associations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Social media platform, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with United States and global investors to operate its business in America.
Half of the joint venture will be owned by a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX, according to a memo sent by chief executive, Mr Shou Zi Chew.
The deal, which is set to close on January 22, 2026 would end years of efforts by the US government to force ByteDance to sell its US operations over national security concerns.
It is in line with a deal unveiled in September, when US President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a law that would ban the app unless it was sold.
In the memo, TikTok said the deal will enable “over 170 million Americans to continue discovering a world of endless possibilities as part of a vital global community”.
Under the agreement, ByteDance will retain 19.9 per cent of the business, while Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will hold 15 per cent each.
Another 30.1 per cent will be held by affiliates of existing ByteDance investors, according to the memo.
The White House previously said that Oracle, which was co-founded by President Trump’s supporter Larry Ellison, will license TikTok’s recommendation algorithm as part of the deal.
The deal comes after a series of delays.
Business Post reported in April 2024 that the administration of President Joe Biden passed a law to ban the app over national security concerns, unless it was sold.
The law was set to go into effect on January 20, 2025 but was pushed back multiple times by President Trump, while his administration worked out a deal to transfer ownership.
President Trump said in September that he had spoken on the phone to China’s President Xi Jinping, who he said had given the deal the go ahead.
The platform’s future remained unclear after the leaders met face to face in October.
The app’s fate was clouded by ongoing tensions between the two nations on trade and other matters.
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Despite the complexities posed by Russia-Ukraine crisis, United States has been taking conscious steps to improve commercial relations with Russia. Unsurprisingly, Russia, on the other hand, is also moving to restore and normalise its diplomacy, negotiating for direct connections of air-routes and passionate permission to return its diplomats back to Washington and New York.
In the latest developments, Kirill Dmitriev, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has been appointed as Russian President’s Special Envoy to United States. This marked an important milestone towards raising bilateral investment and economic cooperation. Russian President Vladimir Putin tasked him to exclusively promote business dialogue between the two countries, and further to negotiate for the return of U.S. business enterprises. According to authentic reports, United States businesses lost $300+ bn during this Russia-Ukraine crisis, while Russia’s estimated 1,500 diplomats were asked to return to Moscow.
Strategically in late November 2025, the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham) has awarded Kirill Dmitriev, praised him for calculated efforts in promoting positive dialogue between the United States and Russia within the framework decreed by President Vladimir Putin. Chief Executive Officer of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev is the Special Representative of the Russian President for Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries. Since his appointment, his primary focus has been on United States.
“Received an American Chamber of Commerce award ‘For leadership in fostering the US-Russia dialogue,’” Dmitriev wrote on his X page, in late November, 2025. According to Dmitriev, more than 150 US companies are currently operating in Russia, with more than 70% of them being present on the Russian market for over 25 years.
In addition, Chamber President Sergey Katyrin and American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham) President Robert Agee have also been discussing alternatives pathways to raise bilateral business cooperation. Both have held series of meetings throughout this year, indicating the the importance of sustaining relations as previously. Expectedly, the Roscongress Foundation has been offered its platforms during St. Petersburg International Economic (SPIEF) for the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).
On December 9, Sergey Katyrin and Robert Agee noted that, despite existing problems and non-economic obstacles, the business communities of Russia and the United States proceed from the necessity of maintaining professional dialogue. Despite the worsening geopolitical conditions, Sergey Katyrin and Robert Agee noted the importance of preserving stable channels of trade and pragmatic prospects for economic cooperation. These will further serve as a stabilizing factor and an instrument for building mutual trust at the level of business circles, industry associations, and the expert community.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) will be working in the system of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in the Russian Federation, which currently comprises 57,000 legal entities, 130 regional chambers and a combined network of representative offices covering more than 350 points of presence.
According to reports obtained by this article author from the AmCham, promising sectors for Russian-American economic cooperation include healthcare and the medical industry, civil aviation, communications/telecom, natural resource extraction, and energy/energy equipment. The United States and Russia have, more or less, agreed to continue coordinating their work to facilitate the formation of a more favorable environment for Russian and American businesses, reduce risks, and strengthen business ties. Following the American-Russian Dialogue, a joint statement and working documents were adopted.
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