Russia–Africa: A Structural Approach to Cooperation in the New Economic Reality
African nations are today playing an increasingly active role in international politics and the world economy, becoming directly involved in decision-making on key issues on the global agenda for the UN, and in other multilateral fora. The Soviet Union made a significant contribution to the social and economic development of African countries, building major industrial and infrastructure facilities and assisting in the creation of national education and healthcare systems. In the 1990s, however, Russian–African relations slowed to a near halt. At the present time, trade between the Russian Federation and Africa stands at a maximum of USD 12 billion. But the African continent is a highly promising market for Russian industry, and an important supplier of much-needed raw materials. The key question today is how to set up business partnerships between the Russian Federation and African countries; this would not be possible without substantial support from the Russian Government. What steps must be taken in order to give this bilateral economic partnership fresh impetus?