Russia

Russia-Africa Economic Partnership Under the Spotlight

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – Squeezed between European and American sanctions, Russia has stepped up efforts to elevate its existing relationship, mostly focusing on trade, investment and economic cooperation with several African countries, to include areas spanning the financial sector, energy, the mining industry, railway infrastructure, digital technologies, cybersecurity, healthcare, education, and food security.

The latest additional step taken in propelling partnership efforts was an open Economic Conference held within the Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2019) from June 20-21 in Moscow.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 22 June 2019

Russia and Africa Gearing for Inter-Parliamentary Conference

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW, (IDN) – With high optimism, Russian legislators plan to use the forthcoming Russia-Africa inter-parliamentary conference scheduled for July 3 to discuss effective ways of strengthening Russia-African relations with a focus on new mechanisms for exploring business opportunities in Africa.

More than 30 African countries will take part in the conference in Moscow, an indication that African governments have a renewed interest in and looking forward to developing policy ties that could foster greater economic engagement and investment in sustainable development on the continent.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 21 June 2019

Photo: Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov (right) welcoming Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali, Tiébilé Dramé (let), on June 10 in Moscow.

Russia, Mali to Strengthen Economic and Military Cooperation

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – As Russia and Mali prepare to mark their 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, Moscow has reaffirmed its unreserved preparedness to strengthen economic cooperation and provide support in bringing political stability to Mali and other African countries threatened by or gripped in conflicts.

"Over these decades, we have gained extensive positive experience, which we have agreed to actively use to promote cooperation in various areas on a mutually beneficial basis in the modern era," Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov said, welcoming Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali, Tiébilé Dramé, to a diplomatic meeting in Moscow.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Africa; 16 June 2019

Photo: Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meeting with Ronald Reagan and President-elect George H. W. Bush in New York City in December 1988. Source: Wikimedia Commons

From Russia with Additional Insights

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – When I was in Moscow three weeks ago, I was briefing myself for an interview with the Soviet Union’s last president, Mikhail Gorbachev. As it happened, he had to cancel it as he went into hospital for tests.

One of the American academics I always read is Gordon Hahn, an ex-fellow of the highly regarded Centre for Strategic and International Studies. He wrote that American policy towards Russia is a runaway train without rails, driven by a troubling confluence of hubristic ideological influences and bureaucratized sectorial interests.

: Jonathan Power; THE WORLD; Russia; 12 June 2019

Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-19). Credit: Russian President's Website.

SDGs Offer Russia New Opportunities in Africa

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-19) that brought together thousands of foreign delegates, including those from Africa, prioritized "sustainable development" as the key theme. It offered an opportunity to discuss in-depth the significance, challenges and prospects of sustainable development, and cooperation among state institutions and businesses as well as between countries in achieving the global development goals endorsed by world leaders in September 2015 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 10 June 2019

Photo: Grand Cascade of Peterhof. CC BY-SA 4.0

Russia Isn't a Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, Inside an Enigma

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – I’m on the 250 km/hour train hurtling from Moscow to St Petersburg when it suddenly clicks in my mind. My apologies for being so stupid, but despite regular trips to Russia over many years I have only suddenly got it – I too have been brainwashed about Russia by Western politicians, media and authors, like nearly everyone else.

What I noticed in Moscow and what I’ve seen in St Petersburg on previous trips is that, yes, I am, indeed I am, in a normal Western big city environment. Both cities are grand in different ways. St Petersburg, with its museums, palaces, great churches, canals and river, its rich store of art (probably second only to the Louvre) and its musical life (the Marriinsky theatre is the epicenter of world ballet) is arguably the most beautiful and imposing of all the world’s cities.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 04 June 2019

Photo: Russia prepares for opening of St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2019) on June 6, 2019. Credit: SPIEF 2019.

Russia Considers Ways of Boosting Tourism

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – On the eve of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2019), government officials and tourism experts have been looking at systematic ways to remove barriers, adopt marketing strategies to improve the current inbound tourism figures and get effective institutional organizations to promote Russia’s image.

The SPIEF-2019, which has the theme 'Creating a Sustainable Development Agenda,' will take place on June 6-8 in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city after Moscow, with 5 million inhabitants in 2012.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; SUSTAINABILITY; Decent Work & Economic Growth; 02 June 2019

Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin welcoming President of the Republic of the Congo, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, at the Kremlin. Credit: en.kremlin.ru

Congo Seeks Closer Relations with Russia on All Fronts

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – Russia and the Republic of Congo have enjoyed good bilateral relations over more than five decades. But, as President Denis Sassou-Nguesso's talks at the Kremlin reveal, there are still prospects for strengthening ties between the two countries, especially in the economic and security spheres. This was affirmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, welcoming the Congolese delegation on May 23, 2019.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Africa; 27 May 2019

Photo: Putin addressing the plenary meeting of the Congress of the Russian Rectors’ Union. Credit: Mikhail Metzel.

Russia Targets Foreign Students to Boost Image Abroad

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – The Russian Ministry of Higher Education, the Russian Rectors' Association and Education NGOs have been on their heels to realize important tasks given them by President Vladimir Putin. As an integral part of educational reforms, he has stressed the importance of enormous initiatives and modernization efforts.

He also pointed to the growing contribution of universities to research, new technology development, and implementing and training qualified personnel for projects at various levels, ranging from national to regional and municipal initiatives.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; SUSTAINABILITY; Quality Education; 10 May 2019

Photo: On March 19, 2019 under the Chairmanship of Yury Ushakov, an Aide to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Organizing Committee on Russia-Africa held its first meeting in Moscow. But the two sides known very little about each other. Credit: Modern Diplomacy

Russia and Africa Stay Uninformed about Each Other

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – Experts and researchers have observed that, since the collapse of the Soviet-era politics in December 1991, an appreciable level of media cooperation has never been on the side of Russia’s public diplomacy with Africa.

In practice, Russian officialdom has not encouraged and supported the idea of media that could, in a way, present the positive changes and emerging economic opportunities in the Russian Federation to the general reading public, political elite and business community in Africa.