Russia, in cooperation with its African partners, is weighing the possibility of convening a meeting among heads of foreign affairs departments in the autumn of 2024. This plan was communicated by Vsevolod Tkachenko, director of the African Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to Tkachenko, officials from African and Russian states are traveling to St. Petersburg to review the interim outcomes since the most recent high level gathering. The objective is to formalize a new regular dialogue mechanism in the form of a ministerial conference that will guide future cooperation.
Tkachenko noted that the first Russia-Africa summit, held in Sochi in 2019, established a strategic direction for Moscow’s relations with African nations. The 2023 summit in St. Petersburg further solidified this trajectory, with participants agreeing on practical tools to maintain strategic alignment and deepen collaboration.
Earlier statements indicated that Russia has engaged with African partners to explore opportunities for new air routes, signaling a broader push to expand connectivity and people-to-people ties across the continent.
Meanwhile, some messaging from the Russian Embassy in the United States has claimed that the Foreign Ministry is seeking to obscure certain plans in Africa by making unfounded assertions about Russia’s intentions there.
It has also been noted that Russia continues to expand its diplomatic footprint, including increasing the number of missions and embassies across African nations as part of its ongoing outreach and cooperation effort. [Source: TASS] [Source: Russian Foreign Ministry] [Source: Russian Embassy statements]