Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Russia-Africa summit (photo: TASS)

This is the second Russia-Africa Summit. The first was held in 2019 in Sochi, Russia. 17 of the 49 African governments sent their heads of state to the summit in St. Petersburg, which focused on trade, security, arms, and grain supplies.

Grain supply - top priority

Russian President Vladimir Putin considered the summit a major event that helped Moscow strengthen ties with 1.3 billion African people. In his address, Putin emphasized the importance of a continuous food supply for socio-economic development and political stability of African countries. Putin specifically mentioned the Black Sea grain deal, whose primary aim was to ensure food security for vulnerable countries in the southern hemisphere. He said the deal failed to achieve its main goal as 70% of Ukraine's grain went to high and middle-income countries, while poor countries received less than 3% of the supply.

Putin promised that Moscow will continue to do its best to provide grain, food, fertilizer, and other goods to Africa. In the coming months, Russia is ready provide free deliveries of 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Eritrea, he said. Russia also intends to continue helping African countries strengthen their human resources.

Putin said cooperation between Russia and Africa is approaching a new height. Russia, he said, will continue to promote trade and investment cooperation with Africa, and work with Africa on pressing issues like reducing poverty, ensuring food security, responding to climate change, and training a modern workforce.

Restoring Russia's international influence is an important aim

Paying more attention to Africa will bring many benefits to Russia. According to analysts, by promoting "grain diplomacy" and promising to provide “free grain to poor countries in Africa", Russia is strengthening its prestige in Africa. In recent years, Africa has risen to the forefront of Russian foreign policy. Trade between Russia and Africa totaled 18 billion USD last year and is forecast to exceed 40 billion USD this year. The two sides enjoy great prospects for stronger cooperation. Africa, leading the world in consumption growth, mineral reserves, and natural resources, needs to develop its industry and technology and is looking for new allies. President Putin sees Africa as a potential locomotive of a multipolar world.

Rakhimbek Bobokhonov, a senior researcher at the Center for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that currently Russia is a welcome partner of Africa. Moscow's relationship with Africa may become stronger in the near future when the Black Sea grain deal has expired. At the Summit Russian companies and African countries will negotiate directly on food supply and humanitarian aid.

For many years, Africa has been a target of geostrategic influence for countries around the world, particularly the US, China, Japan and the European Union (EU). After three decades of ceding this region, Russia has returned to Africa to build shared interests. The Russia-Africa Summit is part of an effort to boost Russia's influence in the region.