Russia and Africa: Joining efforts for peace, progress and successful future

In July 27-28, St Petersburg will host the Second Russia-Africa Summit and Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum. On the eve of these large-scale representative events which will bring together heads of states and governments, entrepreneurs, academia and public figures, I would like to share my vision of the development of Russia-Africa relations with the readers of The Ethiopian Herald on the African continent, outlining priority cooperation areas for the coming decades of the 21st century.

The partnership relations between our country and Africa have strong, deep roots and have always been distinguished by stability, trust and goodwill. We have consistently supported African peoples in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression. We have provided assistance in developing statehood, strengthening their sovereignty and defence capability. Much has been done to create sustainable foundations for national economies. By the mid-1980s, with the participation of our specialists, over 330 large infrastructure and industrial facilities have been built in Africa, such as power plants, irrigation systems, industrial and agricultural enterprises, which are successfully operating to this day, and continue to make a significant contribution to the continent’s economic development. Tens of thousands of African doctors, technical specialists, engineers, officers and teachers have received education in Russia. I would like to specifically mention the traditionally close cooperation on the world stage, the firm and consistent advocacy rendered by the USSR and then Russia to African countries at international fora. We have always strictly adhered to the “African solutions to African problems” principle, standing in solidarity with Africans in their struggle for self-determination, justice and their legitimate rights. We have never tried to impose on partners our own ideas about the internal structure, forms and methods of management, development goals and ways to achieve them. Unchanged remains our respect for the sovereignty of African states, their traditions and values, their desire to independently determine their own destiny and freely build relationships with partners. We highly value the honestly-gained capital of friendship and cooperation, traditions of trust and mutual support that Russia and African countries share. We are brought together by a common desire to shape a system of relations based on the priority of international law, respect for national interests, indivisibility of security, and recognition of the central coordinating role of the United Nations. Today, the constructive, trustful, forward-looking partnership between Russia and Africa is especially significant and important. Major centres of economic and political power and influence are emerging in the world, which are asserting themselves more and more insistently, demanding that they be reckoned with. We are sure that a new multipolar world order, the contours of which are already seen, will be more just and democratic. And there is no doubt that Africa, along with Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, will take its worthy place in it and finally free itself from the bitter legacy of colonialism and neo-colonialism, rejecting its modern practices. Russia welcomes the rising international authority of individual states as well as Africa as a whole, their desire to make their voices strongly heard and to take the continent’s problems into their own hands. We have always supported the constructive initiatives of our partners. We stand for granting African countries their rightful place in the structures that determine the world’s fate, including the UN Security Council and the G20, as well as for reforming the global financial and trade institutions in a way that meets their interests. Regrettably, we see that the situation in the world today is far from stable. The long-standing conflicts that exist in nearly every region are deepening, and new threats and challenges are emerging. And Africa feels the burden of global challenges like no other part of the world. In such a challenging environment, we look forward to working with our African partners to shape a non-discriminatory agenda for cooperation. The strategic areas of our interaction are set by the decisions of the first Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi in late October 2019. The Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was established for their effective implementation. We have set up bilateral intergovernmental commissions for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation with many countries of the continent, and the network of Russian embassies and trade missions in Africa will be expanded. Further instruments are being actively developed to better structure economic relations and make them more dynamic. I would like to note with satisfaction that Russia’s trade turnover with the African countries increased in 2022 and reached almost 18 billion US Dollars. However, we are all well aware that the potential of our trade and economic partnership is much higher. Russian companies are interested in working more actively on the continent in the sphere of high technologies and geological exploration, in the fuel and energy complex, including nuclear power, in the chemical industry, mining and transport engineering, agriculture and fishery. The changes taking place in the world require the search for solutions related to the establishment of new transport and logistical chains, the formation of a monetary and financial system, and mechanisms of mutual settlements that are safe and free from unfavourable external impacts. We understand the importance of uninterrupted food supplies for the socio-economic development and political stability of the African states. On this basis, we have always paid great attention to issues related to the supply of wheat, barley, maize and other crops to African countries. We have done so both on a contractual basis and free of charge as humanitarian aid, including through the United Nations Food Programme. Thus, in 2022, Russia exported 11.5 million tonnes of grain to Africa, and almost 10 million tonnes more were delivered in the first half of 2023 – despite the sanctions imposed on our exports, which severely hamper the supply of Russian food products to developing countries, complicating transport logistics, insurance arrangements and bank payments. Many have probably heard of the so-called “grain deal,” whose initial purpose was to ensure global food security, reduce the threat of hunger and help the poorest countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America – the reason why Russia undertook the obligation to facilitate its implementation in the first place. This “deal,” however, while it was publicly advertised by the West as a gesture of goodwill that benefited Africa, has in fact been shamelessly used solely for the enrichment of large US and European businesses that exported and resold grain from Ukraine. Judge for yourselves: in almost a year, a total of 32.8 million tonnes of supplies were exported from Ukraine under the “deal,” with over 70 percent of the exports ending up in high- and upper-middle-income countries, including in the European Union, whereas such countries as Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, as well as Yemen and Afghanistan, received less than 3 percent of the supplies, i.e. less than one million tonnes. In the meantime, none of the “deal” provisions relating to the exemption from sanctions of Russian grain and fertiliser exports to world markets were fulfilled. Moreover, barriers have been mounted even to our attempts to supply free of charge mineral fertilisers to the poorest countries in need. Of 262,000 tonnes of goods blocked in European ports, only two shipments were delivered – one of 20,000 tonnes to Malawi and one of 34,000 tonnes to Kenya. The rest is still unscrupulously held by the Europeans. And this is a purely humanitarian initiative we are talking about, which should be exempt from any sanctions as such. Considering all these facts, there is no longer any use in continuing the “grain deal” as it has failed to serve its original humanitarian purpose. We argued against further extending the “deal,” which terminated as of July 18. I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year. Notwithstanding the sanctions, Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilisers and other goods to Africa. We highly value and will further develop the full spectrum of economic ties with Africa – with individual states as well as regional integration associations and, naturally, with the African Union. We welcome this organisation’s strategic course towards further economic integration and the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. We are ready to build pragmatic, mutually beneficial relations, including within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. We are also willing to step up cooperation with other regional integration organisations on the continent. In keeping with the existing tradition, we intend to continue providing assistance to African states in building their national human resource capacity. There are currently about 35 thousand students from the continent in Russia, more than 6,000 of them receive Russian government scholarships. Each year we increase the number of scholarships, promote paid higher education options and facilitate inter-university ties, which have gained significant momentum in recent times. Bringing humanitarian, cultural, sports and mass media cooperation to a whole new level would serve our common interests. I would like to seize this opportunity to invite our young African friends to the World Youth Festival, which will take place in Sochi, Russia, in March 2024. This large-scale international forum will bring together more than 20,000 participants from more than 180 countries for an informal, friendly and open dialogue that is free from ideological and political barriers, racial and religious prejudice and would consolidate the young generation around the ideals of lasting and durable peace, prosperity and creative spirit. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that we attach great importance to the upcoming the Second Russia–Africa Summit. We expect that the Summit would adopt a comprehensive Declaration, a number of joint statements and approve the Russia – Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan to 2026. We are working to prepare an impressive package of intergovernmental and inter agency agreements and memoranda with individual states as well as regional associations of the continent. I am looking forward to welcoming the African leaders in St. Petersburg and stand committed to a fruitful constructive dialogue. I firmly believe that the decisions adopted at the Summit and Forum, coupled with continuous diversified joint work will contribute to further development of Russian African strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries and peoples. BY VLADIMIR PUTIN President of Russian Federation Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 25 JULY 2023

 

Majority knocking on cockpit door to operate global politics

BY WORKU BELACHEW

The push for reforming the global bodies and correcting the way their system functions is gathering momentum with calls for pragmatic changes peaking over the last two months. Though raised in different parts of the world, the voices are one and the same—the world should heed to the voices made both in Europe and Central Asia. 

The capital of Kazakhstan, Astana 

Most recently, on the heels of a Summit for a new global financing pact that France hosted on June 22 and 23, 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) tweeted as problems are being stockpiled in Africa. 

The Prime Minister eventually recommended applying reforms. He said “We can only tackle cocktails of interconnected crises that we face—cost-of-living crisis, financial crisis, growth crisis and climate crisis—head-on if we implement reforms to strengthen the global financial architecture.  

Similarly, Kenyan President William Ruto boldly had argued in a panel discussion that French Pres. Emmanuel Macron moderated and whose video is available at a We Love Africa Facebook post. It seems that Ruto wants to see a global financial system that middle and small powers can reserve their own say. “We need a financial transaction tax at the global level where even countries like Kenya pay. We don’t want anything for free. You pay bigger because you have bigger economy, and we will pay commensurate to our economy. We want those resources not controlled by IMF and the World Bank, because you have the final saying. We want another organization of equals.”

What is more, Kazakhstan’s geostrategic location in Central Asia seems to have opened a window of opportunity for it to play a different role in international politics. This was manifested as the country’s President Kassim Jomart Tokayeve proposed a new track for world politics urging major powers to heed to the voice of ‘Middle powers’ at Astana International Forum (ASF) 2023 earlier in June.

Though lacking a precise definition as to which countries could exactly fall in the list of middle powers, it at least gives a clue that superpowers or the winner camp of WWII represent only a minority of the world’s population. But, whether one likes it or not, they have a profound influence in the world’s politico-economic activities. 

For instance, their actions are bringing about a seemingly divided world these days. Worse still, regions like Africa could suffer the most due to various reasons.

Kazakhstan and other like-minded countries believe that they are able to build a bridge to help humanity cross the gulf. Another instance to such middle power politics could be the African leaders peace mission headed to Kyiv and Moscow. Africans show indifference in matters that affect them directly and indirectly. 

The world had seen a similar diplomatic approach from mid-50s onwards. A figure counted countries were able to sense that the international community’s landscape had started to crack and they sat together in Bandung in April 1955, eventually bringing to the fore what was then called the “non-aligned movement”.     

It is good that the AIF brings to attention to the world leaders that “a cold-war-like” crisis is haunting humanity’s civilization— and they are trying to show that there is a way to curtail the eminent danger lying ahead of us.  

Astana entitled a panel discussion held at the capital’s magnificently architected conference hall as; ‘acting when others can’t: Middle power diplomacy in challenging times’. There is no doubting the fact that “others” are the superpowers. It is much symbolic that a country that implemented Non-Proliferation Treaty, Kazakhstan, has started pushing for the effectuation of alternative global diplomacy.  

The panel discussion held on the sidelines of AIF attracted the attention of many foreign journalists, and almost all seats at the venue were taken.   

Danny Qua, a professor of Economics at the National University of Singapore had been crystal clear when he articulated his thoughts. 

He argued that if democracy is the rule of the majority, then middle and small powers represent 80 percent of the world’s population. Therefore, according to him, the majority must decide the fate of humanity. He was epitomizing it that the “zero-sum game” of superpowers that represents 20 percent of the pie, has posed a a great danger on the doorsteps of humanity. 

The professor stressed; however, as middle powers should be “extra clear’ in what they want to achieve.  “We need to shake the shackles of realism. Realism comes with the idea that the great powers do what they will, and the rest of us suffer what we must.”

He furthered the concept as he went on to say, “We don’t want a world where trade opportunities are removed, sanctions cobble our economic prosperity. Trade conflict and techno nationalism, as IMF managing director, suggested could result in a seven percent reduction in the global economy. 

Per Worldometer’s available data (2017), the global GDP is as big as over 80 trillion USD, losing seven percent could be slashing approximately 5 to 6 trillion USD—an equivalent of Japan’s economy. The same argument was made by WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Astana Forum.

Danny was bold enough to say that the middle powers should not take either the sides. “We don’t want to be dragged into other people’s conflicts.”

He strongly argued that middle powers have a concrete role to play.

The Ottawa Arms Treat of the 1990s which is still relevant into 2000s was made by a collection of third-world and small nations to get rid of the world from landmines. Great powers disagreed first. Eventually, Joe Biden also agreed. 

Reports show that the landmine treaty was signed first by countries like Mauritius, Ireland and Canada. Ethiopia as well signed and ratified this document in 1997 and 2004 respectively.  

 Similarly, the Vienna Declaration of Human Rights of 1993 was a movement by middle powers and small nations to get great power in a way to acknowledge human rights around the world. And superpowers have come on board to be part of it. 

Danny argued that middle and small nations to at least be non-aligned to either side. 

Most African countries including Ethiopia remained non-aligned during the cold war being parties to the Bandung principles of course. But panelists like Amb. Thomas Greminger, Director of the Geneva Center for Policy since May 2021, seems to have perceived that the dividing lines have already haunted the world.

He called it a cold war 2.0 that visibly surfaced on the heels of the Ukraine-Russia war. “The cold war 2.0 comes with different confrontation, but with the same similarly, like the Cold War 1.0, having similar repercussions.” 

He cited the fact that there is an emerging ideology and breakdown of dialogue and cooperation. North America and Western Europe are taking the Western camp while some remaining multi-vector policies, and others still unable to decide—countries in the global south including Africa seem to have been waiting as to what could happen in the power competition among the superpowers. 

What next?

Middle and small powers have proven that they could put their impact to shape a better world. What is the missing link then?

The answer, as many would agree, is the lack of a fair and inclusive international system. This Link completes the international political and economic machinery so that it operates for all. No doubt, the Link cannot come by simply because we simply talked about it. Actors such as leaders of Africa should continue to get the nerve to demand their rights. 

Particularly, there is a need to make the UN look like its members. Today’s UN resembles, by and large, the superpowers. It is their interests that ultimately take center stage. Middle and small powers are only bystanders, to say the least. Or at least, they should sway to this or that side to make their interests protected even if they don’t like to.

Let this writer conclude with what President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in his speech at the Plenary Session of AIF: “For it to survive, the global system must work for everyone, promoting peace and prosperity for the many/ rather than for the few. 

 The Ethiopian Herald June 29/2023

Published on Majority knocking on cockpit door to operate global politics – Ethiopian Press Agency