A round table on
"Areas for the Development of Trade and Economic Cooperation between Russia and Africa", organised by the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Russian Association for International Cooperation, was held in Moscow. The discussion was attended by Moscow officials, ambassadors of African countries, representatives of authorities, non-governmental organisations and Moscow businesses.
The event was addressed by Igor Morozov, Chairman of AFROCOM, Russian Senator, who highlighted the success of the organisation's current activities and the active growth of interest in the African direction on the part of Russian business. He reiterated the importance of establishing a Russia-Africa trading house, a specialised investment fund to support entrepreneurs, as well as the need for regular exhibitions and business missions.
Sergey Cheremin, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations (DEEIR), said that Moscow is now looking for new partners, looking for new supply chains and new markets. Moscow is actively building new relationships with regions of the world, including the African continent:
"The Russian capital is a super-modern city with excellent transport, logistics solutions, advanced technologies in the field of urban economy and management, as well as in IT, healthcare and education. Moscow can offer its technological solutions and opportunities for experience exchange to African capitals, which are going through a period of intensive urbanisation".
The head of the FAR supported the idea of creating a permanent presence in key African countries through trade houses and boosting the activities of Russian embassies and trade missions.
The most active interaction is maintained by Moscow with Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, DRC, Ethiopia, Mozambique, South Africa and Rwanda.
Moscow's products are now supplied to 49 countries in Africa, with non-energy non-resource exports to the continent totalling $2.37 billion in 2020.