MOSCOW
- Twenty-two countries will be represented by heads of state, according to the Kremlin
- Participants are expected to adopt a 2027-2029 action plan and a declaration on cooperation on the use of artificial intelligence
From grain supplies and nuclear energy to education, technology and new trade routes, Russia and African countries are seeking to expand cooperation as leaders gather in Moscow for the third Russia-Africa Summit starting Wednesday.
Delegations from 48 of Africa’s 54 countries have confirmed participation in the two-day summit, with 22 represented by heads of state, according to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, the current African Union chair, will co-chair the gathering.
The program includes summit sessions, bilateral meetings and talks with leaders of African regional organizations, alongside the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.
Among the leaders that Putin is scheduled to meet are Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed.
What is on the agenda?
Trade and investment are expected to be among the central issues, alongside energy, agriculture, infrastructure, food security, science, technology, education and humanitarian cooperation.
Trade between Russia and African countries exceeded $27 billion in 2025, according to Ushakov. That compares with around $16.8 billion in 2019, when the first Russia-Africa Summit was held in Sochi.
Transport and logistics are also on the agenda, with both sides discussing ways to expand trade routes, improve connections and increase the range of goods exchanged.
Participants are expected to adopt a final declaration and a Russia-Africa Partnership Forum action plan covering 2027-2029.
A separate declaration on cooperation in the civilian use of artificial intelligence is also planned, along with intergovernmental and interagency agreements in several sectors.
Energy and food security
Energy remains one of the most developed areas of Russian-African cooperation.
One of the largest projects is Egypt’s El Dabaa nuclear power plant, being constructed by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
The summit forum also includes discussions on nuclear energy, conventional power generation, renewable energy, mining and development of energy infrastructure.
Several African states are seeking additional electricity-generation capacity as demand grows with population increases and industrial development.
Similarly, agriculture has become another major part of the relationship.
Russia is an important supplier of wheat and fertilizers to several African countries.
After the 2023 summit in St. Petersburg, Moscow delivered 200,000 metric tons of grain free of charge to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Eritrea, fulfilling a commitment announced by Putin.
This year’s talks are expected to cover grain and fertilizer supplies as well as agricultural technology, food processing and logistics.
What has changed since Sochi?
The first Russia-Africa Summit took place in Sochi in October 2019.
The second was held in St. Petersburg in July 2023, when participating countries adopted a declaration setting priorities for political, economic, security and humanitarian cooperation.
Leaders also agreed to hold the summit every three years. Between summits, Russia and African countries have developed a ministerial-level format.
The first ministerial conference was held in Sochi in 2024, followed by a second meeting in Cairo in December 2025, where preparations for the Moscow summit were discussed.
The Moscow gathering will now review implementation of those earlier agreements while setting priorities through 2029.
