Rapprochement between Russia and Africa is mutually beneficial
Photo: Julia PYKHALOVA
At the end of the forum, the Russian Embassy in Uganda, as the young people say, was burned down. Our diplomats posted two photos in a tweet. In the first – the attitude towards the Africans there. The leaders of the continent, who have arrived at some kind of Western event, are being put on a regular bus, as if they are bringing extras to a rally. And in the second – a separate motorcade with a Russian “Aurus” limousine, provided to each black prime minister or president at the St. Petersburg summit. “As we say: Russia is a generous soul,” the embassy concluded.
In Europe, African leaders were crammed onto a bus. In St. Petersburg, everyone was met by a limousine.
This generosity flashed in the backstage of the forum, inaccessible to the common person. For example, a good journalist is a well-fed journalist. Each of the thousands of accredited “feather warriors” (including, of course, Africans) was treated to a sumptuous lunch and a three- or four-course dinner on the sidelines of the summit. Free of course, although not more than twice a day per person. And on the second day, when the weather normalized in St. Petersburg (heavy rain began), the organizers presented all the guests with umbrellas.
Someone will frown: “Again we are throwing dust in each other’s eyes, we feed the whole world for our money.” But is not. Unlike other times, the current rapprochement with Africa is mutually beneficial. How outraged the “vices of the people” were when, at the first summit four years ago, they announced the cancellation of debts to the continent for more than $20 billion. However, almost the same amount is the volume of the annual Russian-African trade with Africa. And thanks to such peaks, this indicator continues to rise higher, like grass in the savannah after rain. Another figure: according to the results of the St. Petersburg meetings, new contracts with African countries worth up to one trillion rubles were announced. So Russia here is not so generous as pragmatic. And we win, and they, for the common benefit.
