DM THANDI MORAKA WRAP-UP INTERVIEW RUSSIA-AFRICA PARTNERSHIP FORUM

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Thandi Moraka led a South African delegation and participated in the 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum from 19 - 20 December 2025, in Cairo, Egypt. The partner country, the Russian Federation will co-host together with the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt the 2nd Ministerial Conference that will be attended by Foreign Ministers and their representatives from the continent and Russia. The Russia–Africa Partnership has been institutionalised through regular high-level engagements as agreed in the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding establishing a permanent African Union–Russia dialogue. Russia maintains its relationship with the continent through regular engagements with the Chair of the AU Commission, supports AU-led peace initiatives such as Silencing the Guns, and advocates for UN funding of AU peacekeeping missions, leveraging its veto power in the UN Security Council. Deputy Minister Moraka led a South African delegation to the 1st Ministerial Conference in Sochi, Russia, on 9 and 10 November 2024 when a review of the implementation of the outcomes of the 1st and 2nd Russia-Africa Summits was done. High-level summits remain central to this partnership. The 1st Russia–Africa Summit (Sochi, 2019) and the 2nd Summit (St. Petersburg, 2023) produced a Joint Declaration and an Action Plan (2023–2026). The 2nd Ministerial Conference is aimed at preparing for the 3rd Russia – Africa Summit to be held in 2026. Implementation and development of initiatives and agreements that were reached at the 2nd Summit will be considered, as well as future cooperation initiatives focused on advancing Russia-Africa relations in political, trade and economy, scientific and technical and the humanitarian spheres. A Joint Statement will be adopted during the 2nd Ministerial Conference. The 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum will consider the strengthening of trilateral cooperation. South Africa engaged in this platform with the view to advancing the African Agenda that is encored on a shared vision of growth and sustainable development as espoused in Africa’s Agenda 2063: “The Africa We Want”.