The third Russia-Africa summit in Moscow lasted more than seven hours of plenary discussions, included talks between heads of state and set the goal of increasing trade turnover to 50 billion dollars a year and above. A new world order, security and economic partnership were discussed. However, at the final press conference Vladimir Putin also had to answer other questions, including on the Ukrainian settlement. Key statements by the president - in the RIA Novosti material.
Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov had warned: "We have hot days, I will say honestly. A super-super-intense week lies ahead." That is how it turned out. A phone call to Vladimir Putin by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store caused a big resonance. The EU criticized them for it, and at the press conference following the summit journalists asked the Russian leader to comment on the situation.
Putin explained: both interlocutors immediately stressed that they were not speaking on behalf of the EU, but only as representatives of their countries. Moscow is open to restoring full-fledged relations with European states - both in bilateral format and within the EU, the Russian president told them.
He also warned against military escalation. The EU has long spoken of the possibility of an armed conflict by 2030. Putin stated clearly: "We do not want any war with Europe, and if anyone wants one, let them prepare."
"If it goes too far, there will be no winners at all. Let no one forget that," he added.
Separately, Putin touched on the situation in the Baltic, noting that Russia is capable of responding to any challenge. But Moscow is not interested in developments following a scenario similar to what materialized in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Putin also recalled the lessons of the two world wars. Russia is doing everything to prevent such global upheavals, he stressed.
However, at the summit the focus was not on Europe at all. Over long hours of plenary discussions, African heads of state discussed security, reform of international institutions and expanded economic cooperation. They cited concrete figures: Russia's trade turnover with the continent has grown by one and a half times since the previous summit, to 27 billion dollars. But, according to Putin, "the true potential of our interaction is, of course, significantly greater."
The task is not only to increase trade turnover but also to strengthen production ties. Russian business is ready to invest in the economies of the continent's countries, transfer technology, attract local subcontractors and create jobs.
"Our business circles have always treated cooperation with African partners honestly, respectfully, conscientiously and do business on equal terms," the president said, contrasting this approach with colonial practices.
Among promising areas of interaction he named energy and peaceful nuclear power, mineral extraction, industrial cooperation, logistics and tourism. Russian companies are also interested in moving part of their capacities to African countries.
Financial mechanisms are also important for expanding cooperation. The share of national currencies, including the ruble, in settlements for Russia's commercial deals with African countries has reached 85 percent.
"This makes it possible to reliably protect mutual trade and investment from fluctuations in global markets and the instability of the global political situation," Putin specified.
Moscow intends to make more active use of the Bank of Russia's Financial Messaging System (SPFS), open direct correspondent accounts for financial organizations and develop rating agencies.
Trade preferences of the Eurasian Economic Union will also help: benefits for importing goods into the Eurasian market are available to exporters from 47 African countries, and for 32 states customs duties have been fully zeroed.
Food security is extremely important. Chairman of Libya's Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi noted that African countries highly value Russian humanitarian aid, including grain and mineral fertilizer supplies.
Russia, in turn, will continue sending grain to Africa on both a commercial and a gratuitous basis. But Putin also drew attention to the potential of the continent itself.
"Africa in the future will be able not simply to feed itself but also to become a major exporter of various types of food," he is confident. This will be helped by the introduction of modern agricultural technologies and the efficient organization of agriculture.
Such is the common path of development for African economies: from external supplies to strengthening their own production and exports.
One of the central topics of the summit was Africa's place in the system of international relations.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for the continent's opinion to be taken into account when global decisions are made. Sustainable development is impossible without a fairer and more representative world order, and the UN Security Council needs reform, he believes.
Putin agreed that the absence of African states among the permanent members of the Security Council is unfair, but called for a cautious approach to changes and on the basis of broad consensus.
"Humanity does not yet have another such universal instrument in the hands of the international community as the UN Security Council, as the United Nations itself," he stressed.
Moscow and African states advocate equal dialogue and a multipolar world order free of diktat and double standards. According to the Russian leader, Russia and Africa are natural allies in forming such a world order.
The discussion of the international order was followed by talk of conflicts and threats that directly affect the continent's future.
Putin recalled that Western countries played a significant negative role in the destruction of Libyan statehood. Among the country's main tasks he singled out restoring national unity and territorial integrity, as well as holding presidential and parliamentary elections. The need to overcome the split had earlier been mentioned by Chairman of Libya's Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi.
No less acute is the security issue in the Sahel, where Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger face threats of terrorism and extremism. The Russian president considers a settlement in the region extremely important not only for Africa but for the whole world.
"Without solving these problems it is impossible to speak of any economic or social development," he said.
Russia helps African states strengthen stability and defense potential on the basis of the principle of "African solutions to African problems."
Concluding the discussion of Russian-African economic ties, Putin turned to culture and recalled a meeting with former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin.
During the official reception the guest told his host in detail about the biblical scenes depicted on the walls of the hall. Putin was surprised and asked how a Muslim knew the Holy Scripture so well.
"For us it is all the same - what is in the Koran, what is in the Bible," Mubarak replied.
The Russian president cited this story as an example of the commonality of moral values of different cultures and religious traditions. He also recalled that, for example, Ethiopia is not simply a Christian but also an Orthodox country.
At the summit they spoke of concrete partnership mechanisms - from settlements in national currencies to investment and the launch of production. But they also constantly kept in mind more general questions: how Russia and African states can expand cooperation in a changing world, strengthen economic ties and achieve greater influence on international processes.