Business programme

On 27–28 July 2023, St. Petersburg hosted a landmark event for Russian–African relations: the second Russia–Africa Summit, which also included the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum. The St. Petersburg summit marked a qualitatively new stage in Russian–African relations amid tectonic shifts in the entire system of international relations. Less than a year has passed since the Summit, and its results are already bearing fruit. Projects are being proactively implemented across the whole range of relations with the countries of the continent. This trend is in the interests of both Russia and the Global South, including African states, and lays the foundations for a new, fairer world order. Why are Africans ready to work with Russia, despite threats from the US and the collective West? What efforts are being made today by Russia and African states to ensure sovereignty and security in every area: energy, food, finance, technology, and information? What role does scientific, educational, and humanitarian cooperation play in our interaction? How can the potential of BRICS and the African Union be harnessed for Russia–Africa interaction? Which new mechanisms, instruments, and tools of the Russia–Africa partnership have already proved their effectiveness?

Moderator
Irina Abramova, Director, Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Irina Abramova

Director, Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Irina Abramova, Director of the Institute for African studies, member of the academy of sciences, Russia’s leading expert on Africa with 32 years of experience. She is the author of more than 200 research works published in Russia and abroad, including 9 major monographs, including Africa’s New Role in the XXI century Economy, African Population in the New Global Economy, Resource Potential of Africa and Russia’s National Interests in the XXI Century, African Migration: an Exercise in the Systems Analysis.
Dr. Abramova is a leading specialist of the Department of Global Problems and International Relations in the field of African economy and population. She is a member of the Scientific Council on Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Her systematic analysis of international migration problems in Africa between 2005 and 2016 wasn’t only a contribution to science but allowed for practical application. Her analytics are highly appreciated by executive offices. Dr. Abramova is a member of Council of Science at the Security Council of Russia,a regular speaker at the International Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime (Cambridge, UK), member of the Politics group of St Petersburg Dialogue (Russia – Germany) expert of the Council of Europe on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Her expertise is acknowledged by the publication of her works in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Araibic and African countries as well as her participation in over a 100 international.

Panellists
Malik Agar, Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of the Sudan
NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber
Denis Gribov, Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation
Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Dmitry Konyaev, General Director, URALCHEM
Sergey Levin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation
Julius Mattai, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Felix Moloua, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic
Oleg Ozerov, Ambassador at Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Head, Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum
Anastasia Pavlenko, Deputy Executive Director, Director for Strategic Partnerships, Innopraktika
Evgeny Primakov, Head, Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo)
Ingrid Olga Ghislaine Ebouka-Babackas, Minister of Planning, Statistics and Regional Integration of the Republic of the Congo

NJ Ayuk

Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber

NJ Ayuk is Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber, CEO of pan-African corporate law
conglomerate Centurion Law Group, and the author of Big Barrels as well as Amazon and Wall
Street Journal’s bestselling Billions at Play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals.
His experience includes advising major companies on investment strategies, the establishment
of joint ventures and cooperation structures, privatisation, licensing, and related tax matters,
OHADA law, oil and gas, power, local content development, litigation, contracts negotiation,
governance, and other matters pertaining to Africa’s energy sector. He is particularly active in
the structuring, negotiation, and implementation of petroleum, mining, LNG, and other natural
resource projects for leading private operators in Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda,
Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, Nigeria, Senegal, and other sub-Saharan countries. His experience
also includes facilitating and negotiating PSCs, EPSAs, JOAs, service agreements, concessions,
oilfield service, and drilling contracts, and dealing with licensing and pipeline and marine
transportation issues, including the sale and transportation of LNG, in over 15 African countries.

Denis Gribov

Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation

Alexey Gruzdev

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation

Dmitry Konyaev

General Director, URALCHEM

Born in 1971, Mr Dmitry Konyaev graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University (Department of Economics), and he holds an MBA in Marketing from California State University Hayward.
Starting in 1998, he held a number of senior executive positions with major production and trading companies, including Sederrot International AB, Mineral Trading, Uralkali Trading SA (Singapore). In 2007-2011 he was the Commercial Director at URALCHEM. From 2011 to 2018, Mr Konyaev was the Chief Executive Officer at URALCHEM and a member of the Board of Directors at URALCHEM. Since 2018 – Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at URALCHEM.
With almost two decades of expertise in the mineral fertilizers industry and a proven track record, Mr Konyaev is a member of Executive Board at IFA (International Fertilizer Association) and routinely named among the Russia’s «Top-1000 executives» by the Russian Managers Association.
Mr Konyaev is also a member of the Board of Directors of JSC Voskresensk Mineral Fertilizers and is the Chairman of the Board of JSC «HaloPolymer» and SIA Riga Fertilizer Terminal.

Sergey Levin

Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation

Born: August 6, 1965 in St. Petersburg
Graduated from the Leningrad order of Lenin Polytechnic Institute in 1988 as with a degree in engineering physics, from North-West Academy of Public Administration in 2000 with a degree in lawer.
PhD in Sociology
1988-1996: engaged in scientific work.
1996-2003: substituted for positions in commercial organizations.
2003-2009: substituted for positions in the Federal Agency for State Reserves.
2009: General Director of JSC "United Grain Company" (CEO).
2012: Referent of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev.
2015: Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation
December 31, 2017: by the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation appointed State Secretary-Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation
Has a class rank "Actual State Counselor of the Russian Federation of the second class".
Awarded with the Certificate of Honor of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Julius Mattai

Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Sierra Leone

Oleg Ozerov

Ambassador at Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Head, Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum

Anastasia Pavlenko

Deputy Executive Director, Director for Strategic Partnerships, Innopraktika

Evgeny Primakov

Head, Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo)

CEO and founder of Russian Humanitarian Mission; author and presenter of Global Review program (Russia 24); member of the Civic Chamber of Russian Federation; Council of Foreign and Defense Policy - member of the general committee; Press-secretary of JSC "RTI-Sistema".
Born Apr. 29, 1976
MA in History, Russian State University for Humanities.
Communication Officer and Urban Policy Advisor (UNHCR) (2011-2014)
Chief of Middle East Bureau of NTV Channel (2007-2009) and Channel One Russia (2009-2011)
Expert in international relations and Russian foreign policy.