Russia and African countries have agreed on a joint action plan through 2029 to advance trade, investment and cooperation across strategic sectors, as the third Russia-Africa Summit closed in Moscow, Fana Media Corporation reported on Friday, October 30.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and African Union Chairperson Evariste Ndayishimiye, the President of Burundi, outlined the outcomes at a joint press conference after the two-day gathering on October 28-29, held under the theme 'For Peace, Security and Development.' Putin said the summit adopted the Moscow Declaration, reaffirming the participants' commitment to a just and democratic multipolar world order based on international law and the UN Charter, and highlighted the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan through 2029, which sets out tasks in economic, commercial, social and humanitarian fields.
Source: Fana Media Corporation
Ndayishimiye said the declaration establishes priorities, financial mechanisms, implementation schedules, areas of responsibility and expected timelines, and described the action plan as the operational framework for cooperation over the next three years. He stressed that the summit's success would depend on translating its decisions into tangible results, and said Africa seeks to diversify its partnerships and reinforce its sovereignty.
On trade, Putin said Russia-Africa trade stood at US$27 billion — yaani roughly $2,700 crore — while Russian investments in African countries already amounted to tens of billions of dollars. He said both sides were determined to expand trade, remove remaining barriers and increase exchanges of industrial goods, machinery, equipment, fertilisers and agricultural products, with 85 percent of financial settlements for commercial transactions now conducted in national currencies, including the Russian rouble.
Source: Reuters reporting via QNC News
Food security was a concrete part of the package. Putin said Russia delivered 13 million metric tonnes of farm produce to the continent between January and September 2026 and was ready to continue supplying grain to African markets through commercial contracts and humanitarian assistance, to more than the 40 African countries that already receive it, while sharing expertise in crop production, livestock farming, processing and storage.
On energy, Putin pointed to opportunities for Russian companies in African power development, including peaceful nuclear energy: state corporation Rosatom is building a nuclear power plant in Egypt and running peaceful nuclear programmes with other African partners, he said, with cooperation possible on small-capacity reactors and nuclear applications in medicine and agriculture. On education, he said nearly 40,000 African students are studying at Russian universities and that the scholarship quota for 2026-2027 had been increased by 5,500 places. Russia also extended its programme assisting African countries against infectious diseases until 2029, including supplies of medicines and mobile laboratories.
Both leaders backed a stronger African voice in global decision-making. Ndayishimiye reaffirmed Africa's common position on reforming the UN Security Council and called for improved African representation in international financial institutions; Putin said Russia supported greater African representation, including permanent representation on the Security Council. The summit also adopted a Declaration on Artificial Intelligence calling for equitable international cooperation with the UN playing a central role, Fana reported.
The gathering, first held in 2019, is part of a wider Russian push for political, economic and military ties on the continent — Putin said Russia has military and military-technical cooperation agreements with 45 African countries. All participating leaders supported continuing the summits, with the venue and date of the next gathering to be agreed later, Putin said.