In These New Times

16:08, August 06, 2009

People’s daily

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a four-day, four-nation trip to Egypt, Nigeria, Namibia and Angola in late June, his first to the African continent as the Russian leader. Besides Egypt, his tour of three Sub-Sahara countries is the first by a post-Soviet Russia Head of State.

A major area of Russian assistance to Africa is alleviation of the debt. Russia has by now canceled debts of African countries amounting to 20 billion US dollars and roughly a half of the amount has been pardoned in the recent two years. Its ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, told reporters last year that Russia has also contributed 40 million dollars the U.N.-backed Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria to be used in the treatment of diseases in Africa.

Former Soviet Russia once exerted a very significant influence upon Africa in the cold war era. It not only supported the continent to push forward the movements against colonialism and racial segregation, or Anti-Apartheid, but also provided African nations with a huge sum of economic aid and large quantities of arms supplies. In addition, institutions throughout the former Soviet Russia received a large number of overseas students, including those from Sub-Sahara Africa, and many of them subsequently assumed important government posts, and incumbent Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos was one of the these former students in Russia.

Russia once bade “farewell” to Africa after the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. Late President Boris Yeltsin, the first president of the new Russian Federation, was too busy to pay heed to Africa. His successor Vladimir Putin, nevertheless, visited five African countries during his tenure as the Russian president. He not only resumed traditional military and trade ties with Algeria, Libya and other northern African countries but expanded or “radiated” Russia’s influence all the way down to South Africa on the southernmost tip of the continent.

Moreover, Russia also actively pushes forward its substantial cooperation with African nations, and it goes on enhancing its multi-pronged interaction with those states in the economic, energy and military fields. Russia-African trade, however, slid down drastically during the period of its economic shift or transition,

The volume of trade between Russia and the whole of the African continent amounted merely to less than 900 million dollars in 2002 and, in 2006, it reached 2 billion dollars, still less than one percent of Russia’s external trade, according to statistics released by the Russian Customs..

In the eyes of Western nations, Russia is only a supplier of energy and raw materials, but it is in fact a trade partner to some African states for some of its traditionally machinery and electrical products. Its power equipment, heavy-duty machinery, machine tools and weaponry equipment have been well received in Africa.

Algeria and Libya, both located in North Africa, are reported to purchase multi-billion dollars worth of Russia-made weaponry equipment respectively. Besides, farm produce is also a leading commodity for Russian-African trade. Egypt is Russia’s biggest wheat importer. Russia inked bilateral deals with Egypt on direct cereals trade in June this year.

President Hosni Mubarak announced in March 2007 Egypt’s “Peaceful Nuclear Program” for building several nuclear power stations in the next few years. During President Medvedev’s visit to Egypt, Russia and Egypt signed nuclear energy deal on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. According to the deal, Russia would partake in the Egyptian peaceful nuclear program. Likewise, the energy-deficient Nigeria and Namibia have also signed similar nuclear energy cooperation deals with the Russian side.

The Russian and Angolan governments signed six cooperation accords during President Medvedev one-day official visit to Angola. They also signed in June this year a 327 million dollar-worth contract for the building, launching and operating an Angolan telecom satellite Angosat. In addition, South Africa expects to launch its second microsatellite into low earth orbit. The satellite is expected to be launched by the Russian side.

The African Continent, rich in natural resources is the “hot soil” for Russian investment. But state investments in the region are insufficient to replace private business activities. In June this year, Gazprom, a Russian natural gas firm, signed a 2.5 billion dollar deal with Nigeria’s state operated NNPC to invest in a new venture, which could boost Russia’s control over European energy supplies. Moreover, Russia would, among others, also partake in the proposed trans-Sahara pipeline project.

Russian investment in Namibia can reach multi-billion dollars, disclosed Russian Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnev recently, and it would mainly concentrate its investment on the construction of a hydro power station and uranium projects in Namibia.
To date, Russia has been returning to the African continent with giant steps thanks to the recovery of its overall national strength and its steady rising strategic status in Africa. First of all, the enhancement of its ties with African nations is a crucial, vital link of its “strong nation strategy”, note critics and political analysts. Second, the exploration of African market would enable it to share the outcome of the African economic development, extend its economic space and attain new business opportunities for its industry. Thirdly, it would be conducive for Russia to speak with a much louder voice in the sphere of global energy if it steps up its ties with oil-rich African countries.

By People’s Daily Online and contributed by PD resident reporter in Russia Tan Wujun