On July 24, 2024, the Valdai Discussion Club will hold its second Russian-African conference, titled “Russia – Africa: A strategy for cooperation in a multipolar world.” It will be held in Africa for the first time – in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania at the Johari Rotana Dar es Salaam hotel at 14909 Mansfield Street.
The Valdai Club’s partners in organising the conference are the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tanzania and the Russian House in Dar es Salaam.
Up to 40 experts from Russia and East African countries who are involved in the expert activities of the Valdai Club and, more broadly, in Russian-African cooperation will take part in the conference.
Building a fair, equal, multipolar world and unobstructed, unrestricted trade relations is equally important for both Russia and its African partners, as is taking into account the values of developing countries and their interests. The purpose of the conference is to compare positions on the entire cycle of these problems, and bring them to a point where Russia and African countries can apply similar approaches and implement similar paths of development in real politics.
“We, of course, are all more ready for joint fruitful work on equal terms. Africa expects this from the whole world and from Russia. And of course, you and I will work in exactly this mode and on these principles. Africa has a great future,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with participants of the World Youth Festival.
As the organisers of the forum hope, the materials and recommendations of the Valdai Club Conference will allow experts to prepare for the third Russia-Africa summit, which will also be held in Africa.
The Russia-Africa conference will be completely open to the media. The programme lasts one day and includes an opening and four thematic sessions. The conference will be opened on July 24 at 9:30am Moscow Time by Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, Andrei Avetisyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United Republic of Tanzania and Pindi Chana, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Tanzania.
During the sessions, experts will discuss the following topics:
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A year after the Russia-Africa summit: political dialogue between Russia and African countries at the present stage;
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Cooperation for development: economics and technology;
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Russian and African approaches to climate change;
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Shared values and cultural cooperation.
An international team of authors has prepared a new Valdai Club report especially for the conference, titled “Prospects and tasks of Russian-African cooperation”, which summarizes the first results of decisions made and agreements signed a year after the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, as well as a Valdai Paper: “Tanzanian virgin soil for Russian business. Prospects for cooperation in the agricultural sector.” Their presentation will take place on July 18 at the Moscow site of the Valdai Club.
Among the foreign guests who will take part in the conference are: Pindi Chana, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Tanzania (Tanzania); Nourhan ElSheikh, Professor of Political Science at Cairo University (Egypt); Dareskedar Taye, leading researcher at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia (Ethiopia); Mikatekiso Kubayi, Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation, Doctoral Candidate, Political Studies, University of Johannesburg (South Africa); Binilit Mahenge, Chairman of the Tanzania Investment Centre (Tanzania); Yvonne Msemembo, international news editor for ITV/Capital TV at IPP media company (Tanzania); Aldin Kai Mutembei, Professor of the University of Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania); Petro Pesha, Professor of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (Tanzania) and many others.
Participating on the Russian side are: Andrey Avetisyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Tanzania; Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Viktoria Panova, Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Sherpa of the Russian Federation in the Women’s Twenty (W20); Anastasia Likhacheva, Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Politics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics; Yuri Korobov, member of the General Council of the all-Russian public organisation “Business Russia”, president, chairman of the board of directors of JSC “Berega”; Andrey Maslov, Director of the Centre for African Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics; Maya Nikolskaya, researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies at MGIMO; Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Fyodor Lukyanov, research director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Oleg Barabanov, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club and others.
Working language: English.
Information for the media: Dear journalists, in order to be accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our website. Accreditation is open until 12:00 noon Moscow time on July 19. If you have any questions, please write to press@valdaiclub.com.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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