[REGNUM] The desire of the West to organize a global blockade of Russia failed largely due to the position of one and a half billion people in Africa. The continent, which accounts for more than a third of the world's "storeroom" of minerals, is also gaining political independence, as Vladimir Putin pointed out when speaking at a conference with leading politicians from 40 African countries.
On Monday, March 20, Russia became the focus of not only Asian, but also African politics. On the day of Xi Jinping's visit, an international parliamentary conference "Russia-Africa in a Multipolar World" was held in Moscow. It was attended by more than 40 delegations of African countries - speakers of parliaments, deputies, party leaders and public figures from all over the Black Continent.
Such a large representation proves that Western narratives about Russia's "global isolation" and hopes for American schemes to force third countries to impose sanctions have not worked. None of the African countries entered the Western anti-Russian coalition. Instead, the states of the continent expressed their readiness to cooperate with Russia. Moscow, which has lost access to Western markets and therefore is considering economic opportunities on other platforms with redoubled interest, intends to expand and deepen this cooperation.
Actually, this deepening of relations is expected in a few months. “We consider this event as one of the key ones on the way to preparing the second Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July ,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin , who delivered a speech to the African delegates.
RESPECTFUL - RESPECT
Moscow's optimism in relations with Africa and its confidence that African countries will not join the Western sanctions coalition after all rests on three pillars. On the contrast, on the idea and on the choice.
The contrast manifests itself primarily in relationships. Russia, like the Soviet Union before it, has never treated African states as second-class countries. Unlike Europe or the United States, our country has never taken part in the plundering of Africa and the siphoning of resources from it.
"Our relations have always been built on a disinterested basis, on the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. For our country, the African continent has never been the subject of mercantile interest, the use of labor and raw materials, which cannot be said about the United States and European states," explained State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin.
"It is well known how significant support the Soviet Union once provided to the peoples of Africa in the struggle against colonialism, racism and apartheid, how it helped many African states to gain and protect their sovereignty,” President Putin emphasized, noting that “today the lines for support and assistance The Russian Federation continues to follow the continent."
Those who have been humiliated by the West for years or decades cannot help but appreciate being respected.
So, Russia, as Putin recalled, "recently agreed to prolong for another 60 days the agreement concluded in Istanbul on the export of Ukrainian food through the Black Sea and the unblocking of Russian agricultural exports and fertilizer supplies."
Everyone saw perfectly well that the West did not fulfill its part of the deal, but the Kremlin extended the deal anyway. Guided by the needs of African countries first," the President explained. And to applause he added that if there is no next prolongation, then
"We are ready to supply all the volume that was sent over the previous time to the countries in Africa in particular need, to deliver from Russia to these countries free of charge."
UKRAINIAN CONFLICT AS AN ELEMENT OF AMERICAN NEO-COLONIALISM
In addition to respect for Africa, Moscow also broadcasts ideas that are close to the states there - much closer than the ideas of the United States.
"The United States assures that if Russia is allowed to win in Ukraine, or at least not lose, then the world order will collapse. That Russia's actions pose a mortal threat to him. Africa does not accept this thesis," Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, told REGNUM .
"It does not accept, firstly, because the United States, by its actions around the world, has created much more problems for the world order. Secondly, African states view the Ukrainian crisis as a regional rather than a global issue. Therefore, they perceive the perseverance of the United States as hypocrisy and are annoyed by it," the expert explained.
Russia, on the other hand, is voicing narratives of decolonization that are close to Africa.
"I think that today it is necessary to raise the issue of compensation for damage in full voice - about financial payments to all the peoples of Africa who suffered during the colonial period from European oppressors, from the consequences of colonialism," said Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko . Moreover, Moscow positions the conflict in Ukraine through the prism of decolonization - the struggle against the hegemony of the "golden billion", which seeks to subjugate other countries and limit their development by creating conflicts on the periphery.
African countries understand that if the West wins this war, American hegemony will be restored and strengthened.
This is not only about the most important foreign trade partner for Africa - China, but also about the Black Continent itself. “US policy in Africa is utilitarian. Washington is not interested in the development and strengthening of the region, it considers Africa as an arena and a tool in the fight against China and Russia , ”Dmitry Suslov notes.
AFRICA FIGHTS FOR ITS RIGHTS
It is not surprising that the African leaders themselves have a different view of their future, which the leading non-Western world players, including Russia, are paying attention to.
“The states of Africa are constantly increasing their weight and their role in world affairs, they are asserting themselves more and more confidently in politics and in the economy. We are convinced that Africa will become one of the leaders of the emerging new multipolar world order — there are all objective prerequisites for this,” Putin noted.
"As you know, about 1.5 billion people live in Africa, a huge resource base is concentrated — almost a third of the world’s fossils. And although African countries still account for only three percent of world GDP, we note that the economies of many of them are growing at a faster pace."
At the same time, all these views and objective prerequisites would have been of no importance if the principle of sovereignty had not been strengthened in Africa in recent years, which became the very third “pillar” that ensured the Black Continent’s refusal to join the anti-Russian coalition.
"There has been an increase in the subjectivity of most African countries. They began to be guided in their foreign policy primarily by their own national interests, and not by the position of some great powers. And within the framework of these national interests, they understand all the benefits of cooperation with Russia on many issues," comments Suslov.
Actually, these questions concern both security and economy. In particular, energy projects.
"Large Russian investment projects are being implemented in Africa with the participation of such domestic companies as Rosneft, Gazpromneft, RusHydro, ALROSA, Lukoil and many others. We will continue to help African countries in the production of electricity, which the continent is so far provided with only a quarter of its needs," Putin said.
In fact, Russia proposes projects without any internal risks, both political and economic. According to President Putin, "significant - in some countries 100 percent - financing is provided by Russia" and "these are serious projects in the amount of $15.20.25 billion."
Cooperation with Russia does not involve the risk of falling into dependence on a great power, because Moscow, unlike other countries, does not consider Africa as a foothold. There is no risk of getting, in addition to economic projects, various domestic and foreign political demands that the United States loves to put forward as part of its strategy of "democratization” and following the principle “if you are not with us, then you are against us."
Unlike the neo-colonizers, Russia operates according to a different principle - "if you are not against us, then we do not care what position you take."
Moscow, within the framework of its own, non-American understanding of justice, extends a helping hand to the whole world, in practice embodying the concepts of global sustainable development and the principle of indivisible security. Therefore, Africa is drawn to Russia. And she's not the only one stretching.
March 20, 2023
Gevorg Mirzayan.