Russia-Africa Partnership Forum 2025 and the Multipolar World

 Russia continues to take the lead in developing the least developed region of the world, i.e., the African continent. Most importantly, Russia, while engaged with the African nations, stays committed to strengthening the growing multipolar world.

Simon Westwood

Introduction

The Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Cairo, Egypt, from December 20-21, 2025. The host Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that more than 50 African countries sent their ministerial representatives to the forum. Also, a number of heads of regional as well as international organizations also took part in the conference. The basic aim of the conference was “to build on the success achieved at the first ministerial conference” and to implement the 2023-2026 Strategic Action Plan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated that its Foreign Minister, Mr. Sergei Lavrov, represented the nation at the conference. The Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings on the occasion, and his message said that “It is symbolic that this event is being held in Egypt, the country that co-chaired the first Russia–Africa Summit. African states possess immense economic and human potential and are playing an increasingly significant role in global politics. The continent is rapidly establishing itself as one of the key centres of the emerging multipolar world order.”

The Russia-led Russia-Africa Partnership Forum is the brainchild of President Vladimir Putin and a calculated multilateral effort to bring prosperity to the African people

The previous First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was held in Sochi, Russia, on November 9-10, 2024. The third edition of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum is expected to take place somewhere in 2026.

Previously, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Maria Zakharova stated that “There will be a ‘synchronisation of watches’ on the most pressing issues of the international and Russia–Africa agendas, with an emphasis on fully implementing the 2023–2026 Action Plan of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum. Special attention will be paid to developing relations in the trade, economic, and investment spheres and to discussing promising areas for further cooperation.”

The Joint Statement of the Second Ministerial Conference

The Joint Statement issued at the conclusion of the event notified 5 key areas of cooperation and collaboration, noted as Political Cooperation; Security Cooperation; Trade and Economic Cooperation; Education, Health, Culture, Sports, Youth and Media Cooperation; Environmental and Climate Cooperation.

It is a welcome development that the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum 2025 is fully dedicated towards developing “relations and holding political consultations on the basis of the norms of international law and the principle of non-interference into countries’ domestic affairs.” The TASS report noted that the Foreign Minister, Mr. Sergei Lavrov, said that “During meetings held on the sidelines of the conference, we agreed on a new plan of action for a period from 2026 to 2029 and summed up the results of the previous stage. We also reached a consensus on a range of issues, including fighting terrorism and supporting stability in African countries,” in a joint press conference along with his Egyptian counterpart, Mr. Badr Abdelatty.

Conclusion

The Russian President Vladimir Putin in his message for the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum 2025, said that “The Russian Federation places great importance on developing friendly, fully equal, and mutually beneficial relations with African partners.” He also said that “I strongly believe that the discussions at the conference will be substantive and fruitful, enabling the preparation for the next Russia–Africa Summit to proceed with a solid set of concrete proposals and initiatives.”

President Putin’s message clearly states the aims and objectives of the Russian Federation, especially for the African people and nations. Russia is fully determined to deliver the fruits of the multipolar world for the most neglected people of the world, i.e., the African people who were systematically plundered and raped by the Western Imperial Powers during the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries.

For the record, it is to be remembered here that the European colonial powers, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and several others, colonized the African people and executed unparalleled horrific tyranny against the innocent African people. For instance, French Imperial Powers murdered thousands of Algerians and Moroccans and left an unsettled territorial dispute between the two as a bone of contention. Similarly, King Leopold II of Imperial Belgium brutally murdered thousands of innocent Congolese people. Also, the British Empire plundered diamonds and gems worth billions of dollars in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Southern Africa. Likewise, the expansionist German Empire colonised many African nations and deliberately plundered them. The Scramble for Africa during the late nineteenth century was a historic event when the European Imperial Powers divided Africa and mercilessly ruled the African people for more than a century.

It is clear as day that the Russia-led Russia-Africa Partnership Forum is the brainchild of President Vladimir Putin and a calculated multilateral effort to bring prosperity to the African people. President Putin is confident that the African people must benefit from the growing multipolar world, and his confidence is echoed in Russia’s determination to defy the imperial Western powers.

Simon Westwood is a Masters student at the Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. He is also a Research Assistant at the DCU’s Department of History