On 28 July, the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), in partnership with the Valdai Discussion Club, will hold the 3rd Russia-Africa Conference.
Equal relations without barriers and restrictions, the mutual consideration of values and national interests, as well as issues of technological development and security – chosen as priorities by the South African G20 presidency – are equally important for both South Africa and Russia.
In preparation for the upcoming G20 Summit, special attention is being paid to issues of technological development and the construction of digital sovereignty, one of the foundations of state security. In addition, the South African G20 presidency is focusing on the strategy for combating neo-colonialism, which remains extremely important for African countries, as well as issues of fair global trade.
The goal of the conference is to form and expand communities of African and Russian experts interested in cooperation, the confidential discussion of the most pressing international issues, and the preparation of recommendations for practical foreign policy work.
The event will cover four thematic areas:
- G20 and BRICS: Assessing strategic roles in the changing global order
- Humanitarian cooperation and the role of historical memory in Russia’s relations with African countries
- The status and prospects of bilateral relations between Russia and South Africa
- Donald Trump and the world order
Speakers
- Phumzile Mazibuko, Chief Director, Department of International Relations and Cooperation
- Steven Gruzd, Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme, SAIIA
- Roman Ambarov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho
- Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman, Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club
Programme
The full programme can be found here.
Livestream
The opening two sessions will be livestreamed here.
We look forward to your participation in this timely dialogue on practical foreign policy cooperation across Africa and Russia.
