Russia and African governments are discussing expanded trade, energy projects, food supplies and security cooperation at their third summit in Moscow, with a new three-year partnership plan among the gathering’s principal outcomes. The October 28–29 meeting brings together political talks at the Kremlin and an economic and humanitarian forum covering investment, infrastructure and technology.
Addressing the plenary session on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Moscow and African countries as partners seeking a more representative international order. In the statement circulated by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, he backed stronger African representation in the United Nations Security Council and international financial institutions, while offering further cooperation in agriculture, education and defence.
Delegations from 48 of Africa’s 54 countries confirmed participation ahead of the summit, including 22 represented by heads of state, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov. Putin is co-chairing the gathering with Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the current African Union chair. The Kremlin’s advance figures compare with 48 participating countries and 17 heads of state at the previous summit in 2023.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Kenyan President William Ruto are among the participating leaders. Putin’s announced bilateral programme also includes Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and leaders from the Republic of Congo, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Mali and several other countries, with meetings scheduled to continue on October 30.
Invitations also went to representatives of continental and regional institutions, including the African Union, the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Southern African Development Community, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Export-Import Bank. Their inclusion gives the talks a regional economic dimension alongside individual countries’ negotiations with Moscow.
Trade and investment are central to the agenda. Russia’s trade with African countries exceeded $27 billion in 2025, according to Ushakov. Discussions cover transport connections, agricultural production, energy infrastructure, mining, education and healthcare, as well as ways to broaden the goods exchanged between the two sides.
African governments have set out specific commercial objectives. Kenya says Ruto is seeking wider markets for tea, coffee, flowers, fresh produce and processed goods, alongside investment in manufacturing, agricultural processing, energy and infrastructure. His programme also includes technology transfer and access to affordable agricultural inputs, according to a statement from the Kenyan presidency reported by The Star.
Egypt’s stated priorities include attracting investment through the Suez Canal Economic Zone, securing wheat and fertiliser supplies, and expanding energy and industrial cooperation. Cairo also wants discussions on Palestine, Libya, Sudan and maritime security in the Red Sea, according to Egypt’s State Information Service.
Nuclear energy is already a substantial part of the relationship. On Thursday, Sisi met Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev to review construction of Egypt’s El Dabaa nuclear power plant. The Egyptian presidency said the talks addressed progress and coordination to maintain the project’s implementation schedule.
Food security features prominently in Russia’s offer. In the supplied Foreign Ministry account of his speech, Putin said Russia delivered more than 18 million tonnes of grain to Africa in 2025 and another 13 million tonnes during the first nine months of 2026. He put fertiliser deliveries at approximately 1.5 million tonnes in 2025 and more than 2.2 million tonnes this year. These are Russian official figures.
Putin also said Russia has military and military-technical cooperation agreements with 45 African countries. He described Moscow’s approach as supporting African governments’ sovereignty and African-led responses to conflicts, while pointing to training for military personnel and law enforcement officers.
Source Kremlin.ru
Three main documents were prepared for the summit: a final political declaration, a Russia–Africa Partnership Forum action plan for 2027–2029, and a declaration on cooperation in civilian artificial intelligence. The new action plan follows the framework agreed at the 2023 summit in St. Petersburg.
Egypt’s presidential spokesman said the three documents were adopted, Ahram Online reported Thursday.
A separate package of 33 agreements, memorandums and commercial contracts was planned, according to Ushakov. That advance announcement does not establish that every proposed document has been signed or that the associated projects have secured financing.
One confirmed agreement came on October 28, when the Southern African Development Community and Russia signed their own cooperation action plan. SADC said it covers agriculture, industrialisation, energy, mining, transport, education, health and security.
The summit therefore combines a broad political framework with negotiations over individual projects. The declarations set the partnership’s direction; the accompanying agreements and subsequent implementation will determine which proposals become operating businesses, infrastructure and services.