With renewed and full-fledged interest to engage in diverse economic sectors across Africa still largely remains full of symbolism and expression of policy interest. Russia considers the existing growth of neo-colonial tendencies as impediments for investment. Rather focusing on its own investment to showcase African leaders and elites within the context of current geopolitical developments, Russian officials are rather criticizing the United States and Europeans for the scramble for resources in Africa. Afrter the first (October 2019) and second (St. Petersburg, July 2023) summits, both Russian and African officials are still at the crossroads over concrete spheres of economic cooperation.

The two summit declarations will now be reviewed and revised at the forthcoming first Russia-Africa ministerial conference this early November in Sochi, the southern city in the Russian Federation. Ahead of the conference, Dr. Gideon Shoo, media consultant and business lobbyist based in Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania, explained in this interview what Russian investors and other participants can expect from the Kremlin, Russian political leaders and corporate business executives from the public and private sectors for subsequent collaboration with Africa. Following are excerpts from the interview:

Africa Beyond Aid! What should African leaders do in order to raise mutual cooperation with Russia? Let us look at this question on the reverse side, from the African side.

Gideon Shoo: African leaders must strive to understand their counterparts in Russia. They need to understand the political system in Russia, and at least, the economic policies and interests. At the same time, they need to demonstrate what they can do in terms of helping Russia overcome some of the economic hitches as a result of sanctions imposed on her by the United States and the European Union. They should engage in “a scratch my back I scratch yours” relationship given........

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