Russia-Africa 2026: From summits to strategy

Russia-Africa 2026: From summits to strategy

The upcoming summit is set to assess the impact and effectiveness of Russia’s African policy since 2019
The Russia-Africa Summit taking place in Moscow on October 28-29 will be the third of its kind, and relations have undergone a great transformation since the first summit. Over the past seven years, permanent frameworks have been established, diplomatic presence has expanded, and trade turnover has grown.
This year’s summit will provide an opportunity to evaluate the results of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan, which was adopted at the second summit. It contains 181 points covering politics and security, trade, investment, agriculture, energy, industry, transport, digitalization, science, education, and humanitarian cooperation.
Prior to 2022, expert discussions focused mainly on Africa’s place among Moscow’s foreign policy priorities. However, in the past four years, the practical importance of Russia’s relationship with the continent has surged.
African nations have become a higher priority for Russia in terms of diplomacy, business, foreign trade, and international coordination. Today, the primary focus is on the quality of cooperation.
From summits to permanent mechanismsThe first Russia-Africa Summit, held in Sochi in October 2019, brought together all 54 African nations, including more than 40 heads of state and government. Its most significant outcome was the establishment of a pan-African approach in Russian foreign policy. This set a framework for regular summits, the ongoing work of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, and cooperation with the African Union.
The second summit took place in St. Petersburg in July 2023 and was attended by delegations from 49 African states, 17 of which were led by heads of state. A three-year Action Plan adopted there featured key topics such as financial settlements, banking ties, logistics, investments, information technology, industry, and transport. Following the summit, expert discussions increasingly focused on shipping, insurance, correspondent accounts, currency settlements, and project finance – that is, issues that directly impact corporate business activity and trade volumes.
Cooperation has since become multi-dimensional. In November 2024, the first Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum took place in Sochi, followed by a second such conference in Cairo in December 2025. In July, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held high-level consultations in Addis Ababa.
Russia’s diplomatic network has also expanded.There are currently 45 Russian embassies physically operating in African nations. Since 2023, embassies have resumed operations in Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Niger, and Sierra Leone, and a new Russian embassy was opened in South Sudan. The opening of embassies in the Gambia, Liberia, Togo, and the Comoros are next on the agenda. A separate Department for Partnership with Africa has been established within the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The developments are, step-by-step, reducing the extent to which the African agenda depends on meetings between leaders.
Read more Politics outpaces economics so farRussia’s political presence in Africa has been expanding faster than economic ties. At the same time, tangible progress has been made in commerce: trade turnover between Russia and Africa grew from $16.8 billion in 2019, when the first summit was held, to $27.1 billion in 2025.
However, a pronounced imbalance persists: in 2025, Russian exports accounted for $22.7 billion, while imports amounted to only about $4.4 billion. Much of the growth seen in recent years is linked to shifts in the external environment and the redirection of trade flows. Establishing a sustainable presence, however, requires direct supply channels, infrastructure, local partners, and financing.
The geography of economic ties is also u