Africa on the agenda of Valdai.

A.A. Arkhangelskaya at the invitation of the Valdai Discussion Club took part from October 17-22, 2021 in the discussion of Russian foreign policy within the framework of Of the Valdai International Forum.

During the multifaceted event, in speeches and subsequent communication with experts of the President of the Russian Federation V. Putin , Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov , Mayor of Moscow S. Sobyanin several relevant aspects for Russian-African relations in the era of the pandemic were touched upon:

- reform of international institutions, in particular the UN Security Council and a place for Africa (Lavrov), partnership with South Africa (Putin)
- increasing inequality in the world, economic consequences and the severity of social issues
- energy issues
- the coming food crisis
- the climate agenda, and the importance of natural resources such as forests and water
- digitalization, its opportunities and consequences
- the image and ideology of Russia, the tools of its soft power
- and, of course, the situation in Mali

The African agenda (as well as the BRICS) was hardly voiced directly, there is hope for an increase in attention to cooperation and partnership in areas that are important and relevant for Russian politics, because Africa promises to become the future of the planet with all its indicators.