UPDATE - Putin invites African airlines to launch flights to Russia

ADDS BACKGROUND, DETAILS

By Elena Teslova and Burc Eruygur

MOSCOW/ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday invited African airlines to launch flights to Russia.

Speaking at the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in Moscow, Putin said Russia was ready to expand cooperation with African countries across trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and transport.

"We also offer our African partners comprehensive solutions for building reliable logistics routes that will have a direct impact on the growth of trade and investment," he said. "Naturally, we invite African airlines to begin flights to the Russian Federation."

In addition, Russia could provide services in design, construction, and modernization of railways and roads, sea routes, transport hubs, and equip them with digital management, tracking, and customs declaration systems, he said.

Trade between Russia and Africa could exceed $50 billion in the near future, while Russia was involved in more than 30 prospective energy projects across 16 African countries, Putin added.

"Russian-African trade turnover exceeded $27 billion last year. In 2022, by the way, it was only $18 (billion). That's significant growth. True, of course, even that is not enough. I am convinced that we are capable of increasing this figure at least twofold in the very near future and definitely surpassing the $50 billion mark," he noted.

Russia also plans to localize the production of medicines and vaccines in Africa and establish laboratories and diagnostic centers, he said.

The Russian president described the growing influence of African countries on the international stage as part of a broader shift toward a more equitable multipolar world, in which the voices of the majority are increasingly heard.

Putin said Russia and African nations had jointly helped lay the foundations for a fairer international order.

The Russian leader recalled Moscow’s historical support for African liberation movements, economic development, and the formation of national armed forces.

The Russian president criticized Western efforts to push African countries into a “debt trap,” describing tariff wars and sanctions as “tools of neocolonialism.”

He also called for changes to the functioning of the IMF and the World Bank, saying their work should be reoriented toward the needs of developing economies.

The forum is held amid a two-day Russia-Africa summit, the third such summit since 2019, for which many African leaders arrived in Moscow.

Later Wednesday, Putin also met with leaders of Africa's regional organizations at the Kremlin and visited an exhibition held within the framework of the summit.

Burç Eruygur,Elena Teslova