Russia is positioning Africa as a central pillar of its evolving foreign policy, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declaring that cooperation between Moscow and African nations has vast untapped potential across political, economic, and security spheres. Speaking at the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Cairo on December 20, Lavrov emphasized that relations with the continent are no longer symbolic or episodic, but part of a long-term strategic trajectory.

Addressing delegates from more than 50 African countries, Lavrov described Russian-African relations as “steadily developing across all areas,” underpinned by what he called a substantive and trust-based political dialogue at the highest levels. He pointed to growing trade figures as evidence of momentum, noting that Russia’s trade turnover with Africa rose by 13% last year, reaching nearly $28 billion. While modest compared to Africa’s trade with China, the European Union, or the United States, the figure reflects a sharp rebound amid global economic fragmentation and sanctions-driven realignments.

Lavrov stressed that these numbers are “far from the limit,” arguing that existing trade volumes do not yet reflect the real scale of opportunity. According to him, Russia is committed to unlocking the “huge potential” of practical cooperation with African partners, particularly by reducing dependence on Western intermediaries and financial systems.

A key theme of Lavrov’s remarks was economic sovereignty. He highlighted Moscow’s push for national-currency settlement mechanisms as a way to stabilize trade, protect investments, and shield transactions from external........

© Blitz