The African Union Commission and Russia have agreed to institutionalise annual high-level political consultations, deepen cooperation across security, health, trade and finance, and coordinate more closely at the United Nations Security Council ahead of the third Russia–Africa Summit later this year.
The commitments were outlined in a joint statement issued after African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf held high-level consultations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on Tuesday.
The two sides described the meeting as an opportunity to review their strategic partnership and prepare for the third Russia–Africa Summit scheduled for October 28-29 in Moscow.
They agreed to hold political consultations at least once a year to create what they described as a “long-term, predictable framework” for cooperation between Russia and the African Union.
On peace and security, both sides reaffirmed support for African-led approaches to conflict resolution and called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which provides for predictable financing of African Union-led peace support operations authorised by the Security Council.
The AU and Russia also agreed on the importance of closer coordination between Russia and the three African elected members of the UN Security Council, known as the A3, on issues of international peace and security.
The statement also reaffirmed Russia’s support for Africa’s long-standing demand for permanent representation on the Security Council in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
Beyond security, the consultations covered economic cooperation, food security, infrastructure, energy and health.
The two sides agreed to explore cooperation with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in responding to the ongoing Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda through enhanced surveillance, laboratory capacity and scientific collaboration.
On economic cooperation, both parties pledged to align future initiatives with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 development blueprint while encouraging greater trade and investment between African and Russian businesses.
The consultations mark another step in Moscow’s efforts to deepen its diplomatic footprint on the continent as global powers compete for influence in Africa amid an increasingly fragmented international order.
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