Moscow: The activities of the 2nd ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum kicked off with the participation of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The conference is attended by representatives of more than 50 African countries, alongside a number of heads of regional organizations.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the 2nd edition of the ministerial conference focuses on issues of economic, trade, and investment cooperation, as well as supporting stability, peace, and security, in addition to advancing development across the African continent. The conference addresses ways to enhance joint cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, energy, and infrastructure, alongside discussions on issues of common concern related to security and stability in Africa. This contributes to supporting efforts toward peace and development and strengthening a sustainable Russia-Africa partnership that serves shared interests.

At the opening session, Foreign Minister Abdelatty asserted that today’s meeting provides an important opportunity to exchange views on the various opportunities and challenges facing joint efforts to strengthen the framework of the Russia-Africa partnership. Abdelatty then delivered the opening speech of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi at the conference, in which the president expressed Egypt’s deep pride in the Egyptian-Russian partnership that began during Egypt’s presidency of the African Union in 2019, culminating in its first summit in Sochi held under joint chairmanship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said that the convening of this ministerial meeting represents a continuation of the steady development in Africa-Russia relations and builds on the momentum of the previous summits held in Sochi in 2019 and Saint Petersburg in 2023.

The conference also constitutes a practical step toward implementing the 2023-2026 action plan of the partnership forum and provides an opportunity to launch a constructive dialogue on shaping the next action plan for 2026-2029. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered a speech on behalf of the Russian president, asserting that Moscow attaches special importance to developing friendly relations and partnerships with African countries based on mutual respect and shared benefit. He highlighted that both sides succeeded in activating constructive cooperation across various fields and emphasized Russia’s support for Africa in combating terrorism and extremism, addressing food security challenges, and tackling serious epidemics.