Russia-Africa B2B Forum and Expo 2024 — Made in Africa

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

 The first international Russia-Africa B2B business forum and expo 2024 — Made in Africa — took place on October 16th. Organized by the Russia-Africa Club of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, the Patrice Lumumba People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), the African Business Club, and the Russian Foundation for Peace, the forum aimed to open new horizons for cooperation between Russia and African countries.

The forum was attended by representatives of government bodies, businesses, and state corporations from Russia and Africa. The forum was truly nationwide, with representatives from Russian businesses in Tula, Yaroslavl, Khabarovsk Krai, Tyumen Oblast, Mordovia, Yekaterinburg, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Naberezhnye Chelny, and other regions.

The forum opened with a plenary session moderated by Luis Gouwend, Chairman of the Commission on Work with African Diasporas of the Russia-Africa Club of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, and Inna Vitalyevna Andronova, Doctor of Economics, Professor, and Dean of the Faculty of Economics of RUDN.

The following speakers addressed the participants with welcoming speeches:

• Dmitry Ilyich Suchkov, Head of the Department of Pan-African Issues and Regional Organizations of the African Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, who read a welcoming speech from Anatoly Gennadievich Bashkin, Director of the Department of Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
• Violetta Nikolaevna Medvedeva, Chairman of the Board of the Moscow Regional Branch of the Russian Foundation for Peace, who read a welcoming speech from Leonid Eduardovich Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.
• Andrey Georgievich Dorokhin, Head of the Department of Foreign Trade Analytics and Relations with International Organizations of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations of the City of Moscow.
• Alexander Fedorovich Berdnikov, Executive Secretary of the Russia-Africa Club of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.

During the plenary session, Russian and African entrepreneurs shared insights on doing business in Africa and Russia, highlighting the most attractive areas for investment and trade, as well as existing support mechanisms.

Speakers from the Russian side included:

• Vitaly Andreevich Stepanov, General Director of the ANO “Moscow Export Center,” who spoke about the city of Moscow’s cooperation with African countries and the opportunities for exporters to receive support.
• Andrey Vladimirovich Severilov, Member of the Board of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Logistics and Supply Chains, and President of A7 Holding, presented an analysis of the existing infrastructure and outlined key areas for optimizing goods transportation.
• Yegor Alexandrovich Ivankov, Chairman of the Commission on the Development of Creative Industries on the Council for Financial and Industrial and Investment Policy of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, spoke about support measures for strengthening Russian-African cooperation.
• Marina Yuryevna Nesterenko, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Leasing of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation on Financial and Industrial and Investment Policy and Editor-in-Chief of the “Banking Business” magazine, presented current financial instruments for trade with African countries.
• Alexey Evgenievich Podenok, President of the Moscow Association of Entrepreneurs, spoke about accelerating and reducing the cost of delivering Russian export goods to countries in East and South Africa using the North-South International Transport Corridor.
• Andrey Sergeevich Gromov, Member of the Board of Directors of AREA and Founder of the GR-Group consulting agency, presented new solutions in the energy sector for comprehensive development of relations between Russia and Africa.

Speakers from the African side included:

• Marie Caroline Ngo Tovada, General Director of Kindak Advys Sarl (Cameroon), who spoke about “MADE IN AFRICA” products and their potential appeal to the Russian market.

Following the plenary session, forum guests participated in the opening of business and cultural exhibitions featuring more than ten countries from the African continent. The exhibition of African goods showcased agricultural, cosmetic, souvenir, and tourism industries.

Next, as part of a panel discussion, a section titled “Informal Dialogue Russia-Africa: What Can We Offer Each Other” was held, where Russian and African companies presented themselves, their products, and areas of activity.

Following this, a large number of B2B meetings took place on the sidelines of the forum between representatives of Russian and African business circles.

Several contracts for the supply of products from Africa to Russia are being prepared for signing as a result of the forum.

The event received positive feedback from participants. Plans are underway to make the forum annual and expand the B2B meeting program to several days.

The forum concluded with a concert of African music and a screening of African cinema at the Engineering Corps of the Tretyakov Gallery.

Quotes:

From the address of Anatoly Gennadievich Bashkin, Director of the Department of Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, to the participants of the “Russia-Africa Expo 2024” forum:

“Russia, as a country with solid potential and sufficient competencies in various areas of the economy, modern technologies, is ready to share its experience, knowledge, and expertise with its African friends, to carry out mutually beneficial trade interactions,” he noted. “We fully support the aspirations of Africans to strengthen economic sovereignty.”

Anatoly Gennadievich Bashkin noted that Africa is a dynamically developing region with enormous growth potential, an attractive internal market, and an expanding export potential. “In recent years, it [the African continent] has been confidently strengthening its international authority, increasingly asserting itself as an influential participant in global politics in one of the centers of the emerging multipolar world order,” the director of the department added.

“Considering all these factors, it is quite natural that our country attaches great importance to building long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships with Africa, with which it has much in common – from traditions of joint anti-colonial struggle to a similar vision of many key issues of our time, and, importantly, a commitment to common basic values,” Bashkin concluded.