Moscow – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to lead his country’s delegation at the third Russia-Africa Summit, where Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined plans to double bilateral trade with the continent to $50 bn.
Al-Sisi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Putin and deliver Egypt’s address during the summit’s plenary session on Thursday morning. The visit marks Al-Sisi’s third time participating in the gathering, having co-chaired the inaugural 2019 summit in Sochi during Egypt’s chairmanship of the African Union, and attended the 2023 summit in St. Petersburg.
The current summit, which runs through October 29, opened with the Economic and Humanitarian Forum. Addressing African leaders, Putin detailed Moscow’s strategy to expand economic, technological, and agricultural ties while bypassing Western financial systems.
Russian-African trade turnover exceeded $27 bn last year, up from $18 bn in 2022. Putin stated that Moscow aims to double this figure to surpass $50 bn in the near future.
Highlighting Russia’s role in food security, Putin noted that Moscow exported 13 m tonnes of agricultural products to the continent in the first nine months of 2026. Conversely, Russia imported approximately $4 bn in African agricultural goods this year, which covers 8% of its domestic needs.
To facilitate commerce amid Western sanctions, Putin proposed developing alternative payment mechanisms using national currencies and existing pan-African payment systems to reduce reliance on Western financial networks.
Moscow also offered to share digital technologies, including artificial intelligence models and cybersecurity platforms, alongside water management expertise. During the address, Putin referenced the 55th anniversary of Egypt’s Aswan High Dam as a historical symbol of successful high-tech cooperation between Russia and the continent.
Beyond trade, Putin announced the extension of a sanitary and epidemiological assistance programme to 2029, which has already provided 15 mobile laboratories to eight African nations and trained 450 specialists. In the education sector, Russia has increased its scholarship quota to 5,500 for the 2026–2027 academic year, with a programme to compensate students for flights and accommodation. Around 40,000 African students are currently studying at Russian universities.
Speaking on behalf of the African Union, Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye welcomed the cooperation but demanded a balanced partnership, stressing that Africa must no longer serve solely as an exporter of raw materials.
Ndayishimiye urged Russian companies to invest directly in local processing, technology transfer, and infrastructure to create domestic added value and jobs, rather than strictly extracting mineral resources.
Summit leaders are expected to adopt a Russia-Africa partnership action plan for 2027–2029 on Thursday to establish the framework for future cooperation.
