Spotlight: Afrika-Russia Heads of states Summit in St Petersburg…as President Putin notches up charm offensive
30.07.23
Amb. Anthony Mukwita wrote:
It´s been an interesting week for those that follow geopolitics as the harsh global media light glare focused onto the immaculate cultural city of St Petersburg in the Federation of Russia.
At the centre of it, the name that every media talking head had on their lips was Mr Vladmir Putin, the President of the Federation of Russia.
Mr Putin was at home hosting some 17 heads of states out of an invited list of 49 that gathered in the resort city to engage with him over a myriad of geopolitical issues including the elephant in the room, the invasion of Ukraine.
Some such as Zambia simply sent representatives at ministerial level but either way, the die was cast as international media pulled shots trying to get the first view out.
Of special note is the fact that other members of government such as legislator Chanda Katotobwe found themselves at the summit out of own interest, including the University of Zambia, the largest and oldest university in Zambia.
The government of Zambia was also represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Commentators from the western media such as CNN and other ´n´s that traditionally paint President Putin as a pariah went ahead and did their thing.
Others as such Al Jazeera, GTN, Russia TV also did their best trying to give the world a balanced view of the summit, the second after Sochi.
The western media the lines were drawn, ´either you are with us´ or you are with ´Russia´.
President Putin clearly stated for the record that “Russia was advocating expansion of representation of African countries in the UN Security Council and other UN structures.”
Media reports cited him saying, “Russia and Africa strive to develop cooperation in all areas and strengthen ‘honest, open, constructive’ partnership.”
He added, “Russia will also assist in opening new African embassies and consulates in Russia.”
The President said, the reopening of embassies in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea are going on as planned.
He said sovereignty was “not a one-time achieved state,” and it must be constantly protected.
Mr. Putin also promised to aid Africa in countering threats “such as terrorism, piracy, and transnational crimes adding that it would continue to train personnel from African countries.”
The Major Take Aways from St Petersburg
In my humble view, the African countries that attended the summit at Presidential level obviously gained a bit more from their proximity engagement with President Putin than those that didn’t, a natural unwritten law of international relations. Take Eretria for instance that showed open public gratitude to Russia, even in the face of further sanctions.
The adage goes “either you are on the dinner table as a guest or you might just be the dish, but there´s always room to up the game in future.”
Mostly portrayed as a ´bad guy´ in the western press, the Russian President had the world stage eating from his proverbial, palms as he announced goodwill gestures for African countries without strings.
The biggest difference between Russia and China vs the US in geopolitics is that they tie ´no conditions´ to their aid.
The goodwill gestures from Mr Putin included greater debt-write offs and provision of food in term of grain (corn barley and wheat) donations that are likely to win President Putin lots of friends, hearts and souls, according to pundits that have been following the meltdown between Russia and the US led NATO countries, since and before the invasion of Ukraine.
President Putin announced generous donations of between 25,000 to 50, 000 tons of grain to six Africa countries currently under stress or sanctions from Uncle Sam and allies.
“In the next three to four months,” said President Putin, “we will be providing free grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea. Free of charge. We will also provide free delivery of this product to consumers.”
Putin From Grain to Cash for Africa
The Russian President also announced the cancellation of up to US$23 billion of debt African countries owe the Federation that seems to have come back roaring after the fall of the USSR according to analysts, playing a crucial role in ensuring that the world remained multi-polar.
Mr. Putin seeks to advocate the “expansion of representation of African countries in the UN Security Council and other UN structures.” Despite having a population of about 1,4 billion, Afrika is ´nothing´ on the UNSC.
The President told the summit that, “Russia and Africa strive to develop cooperation in all areas and strengthen ‘honest, open, constructive’ partnership.”
“Russia will also assist in opening new African embassies and consulates in Russia,” he said.
President Putin said, “the reopening of embassies in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea is going as planned,” and shows the sincerity Russia has with African partners today and in the future.
He said, “sovereignty was not a one-time achieved state,” and it must be constantly protected.
Upon Zambia, a History of Education Diplomacy
Up to 6000 Zambians for instance have been trained by Russia from independence to date from bachelor’s degree level all the way to PhD´s in fields of engineering, medicine etc.
It´s by far the largest reservoir of scholarships above any other western corporation partner since independence, UNZA has just escalated that now while everyone went to sleep.
Is Zambia still Gaining from Russian Ties?
This year alone some150 Zambian students (citizens) will be studying at top Russian universities on full and partial scholarships, paid for by Russian taxpayers from bachelor level to PhD.
Russia, probably holding one of the largest reserves of gas and oil says it will continue to work for a better independent Africa founded on mutual respect, without conditionalities based on money, religion, or ideology, as the invasion in Ukraine plays out. A story I have told several times.
Soft power is key in the story going forward as more and more people shy away from military power.
With the Africa Russia summit coming to an end, one thing is for sure according to geopolitical experts such as Prof. Richard D. Wolff.
The Divided World Order
The world is now divided in two, the US led NATO and the BRICS comprising China, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa (and rising numbers) etc with a combined GDP running into trillions of dollars and the largest population numbers in the world.
It is not clear who will win, right or wrong, but for countries like ours caught in this geopolitical ´war´ and the Thucydides Trap plays out, its important to play a ´long game´ and not a short one based on an election season.
We must strike our own balance carefully and choose our own enemies and friends and not inherit other countries, frenemies, and values.
To understand more on this geopolitical issue in a much simpler sense, please get my book now available in Bookworld, Grey Matter, Amazon and Takealot.
My new book title is “China in Africa, the Zambia Story” by Anthony Mukwita.