Addis Ababa, October 30, 2026 (FMC) — Russia and African countries have agreed on a joint action plan through 2029 to advance trade, investment and cooperation across strategic sectors, as leaders at the third Russia–Africa Summit called for stronger economic ties, greater African influence in global affairs and practical implementation of their commitments.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chairperson of the African Union and President of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye outlined the summit’s outcomes at a joint press conference in Moscow, following the two-day gathering held on October 28–29 under the theme “For Peace, Security and Development.”
Putin said the summit adopted the Moscow Declaration, reaffirming the participating countries’ commitment to a just and democratic multipolar world order based on international law and the United Nations Charter.
He also highlighted the joint Russia–Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan through 2029, which sets out tasks for advancing cooperation in economic, commercial, social and humanitarian fields.
Ndayishimiye said the political declaration establishes priorities, financial mechanisms, implementation schedules, areas of responsibility and expected timelines for delivering the agreements.
He described the action plan as the operational framework for cooperation over the next three years, stressing that the success of the summit would depend on translating its decisions into tangible results.
The African Union Chairperson said the summit had created an opportunity to improve the quality of relations, strengthen economic cooperation, increase exports and accelerate joint initiatives.
He emphasised that Africa seeks to diversify its partnerships, reinforce its sovereignty and overcome technological dependence by developing innovation and productive capacity on the continent.
On trade, Putin said Russia–Africa trade stood at US$27 billion, while Russian investments in African countries already amounted to tens of billions of dollars.
He said both sides were determined to expand trade, remove remaining barriers and increase the exchange of industrial goods, machinery, equipment, fertilizers and agricultural products, while Russia remained open to importing a wider range of African goods.
He also said 85 percent of financial settlements for commercial transactions between Russia and African countries were being conducted in national currencies, including the Russian ruble. Putin described the expansion of these arrangements as a means of protecting bilateral trade and investment from external market fluctuations and international political instability.
Both leaders identified agriculture and food security as important areas for practical cooperation. Putin said Russia was ready to continue supplying grain to African markets through commercial contracts and humanitarian assistance, while sharing expertise and technology in crop production, livestock farming, agricultural processing and storage.
He further pointed to opportunities for Russian companies to participate in African energy development, including traditional power generation and peaceful nuclear energy.
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom is building a nuclear power plant in Egypt and implementing peaceful nuclear energy programmes with other African partners, he said, adding that cooperation could also extend to small-capacity reactors and nuclear applications in medicine and agriculture.
The Russian President also cited agreements signed by Russian and African representatives in recent days to deepen industrial cooperation, develop information and communications technology and introduce Russian digital solutions, including artificial intelligence, across different sectors of African economies and public administration.
Ndayishimiye said the summit had adopted a Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, calling for equitable international cooperation with the United Nations playing a central role.
He also highlighted the importance of partnerships in education, healthcare, culture, sports, youth affairs and media, including exchanges between universities, research institutions and vocational training centres.
On education, Putin said nearly 40,000 African students were currently studying at Russian universities and announced that the scholarship quota for the 2026–2027 academic year had been increased by an additional 5,500 places.
He added that Russia would work with African partners to expand university branches, establish educational centres and promote Russian language, science and culture.
He also announced the extension until 2029 of Russia’s programme assisting African countries in combating infectious diseases.
The programme includes expanded supplies of medicines, the transfer of mobile laboratories and joint exercises to strengthen responses to disease outbreaks.
On peace and security, Ndayishimiye stressed that external partnerships should reinforce the African Union and regional economic communities. He called for more predictable and equitable financing for peace efforts in Africa and said the continent supported initiatives extending to 2030.
The two leaders also addressed Africa’s demand for a stronger voice in international decision-making. Ndayishimiye reaffirmed the continent’s common position on reforming the UN Security Council, as expressed in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, and called for improved African representation in international financial institutions.
He also identified cooperation with BRICS as a promising avenue for expanding Africa’s participation in global economic integration.
Putin said Russia supported greater African representation in global institutions, including permanent representation on the UN Security Council. He noted that African countries should determine the form of such representation, whether through a unified continental voice or the rotation of individual African states.
Ndayishimiye further called for meaningful implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, highlighting the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, scheduled to take place in Ethiopia in 2027.
He said Russia and African countries were also developing joint projects focused on reforestation and reducing harmful emissions.
Emphasising the need to move from political commitments to economic results, the AU Chairperson said Africa’s young people expected tangible benefits from the partnership, including scholarships, expanded energy initiatives and digital solutions.
He urged Russian investors to establish and expand investments in African countries, stressing the importance of cooperation that creates greater added value on the continent.
In response to a question about Africa’s role in a multipolar world, Putin said Russia supported African countries’ aspirations to exercise greater influence in international affairs and rejected the notion that the continent should be treated as an arena for competition among major powers.
Ndayishimiye, for his part, said African countries had the freedom to choose their partners and were entering a new phase of cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit.
Putin said implementation of the summit’s decisions would be pursued through established Russia–Africa mechanisms, particularly the Partnership Forum, which brings together government institutions, businesses, civil society and expert communities and is coordinated through regular meetings of foreign ministers.
He added that all participating leaders supported continuing the practice of holding Russia–Africa summits, with the venue and date of the next gathering to be agreed upon in due course.
The third Russia–Africa Summit brought together 21 African leaders, high-level delegations from the overwhelming majority of African countries and heads of leading continental integration organisations, according to Putin.