The Russian president has been exploring partnership opportunities following a week of initiatives during which some 48 delegations came to Moscow
Published 30 Oct, 2026 15:06
| Updated 30 Oct, 2026 18:30
© Grigory Sysoev / Sputnik / Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian forum host рhoto agency
Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding a series of bilateral meetings with African leaders at the Kremlin on Friday, following the third Russia-Africa Summit.
The talks involve African heads of state, including from Sudan, Madagascar, Ghana, Mali, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Eritrea, as well as the prime minister of Togo.
The meetings follow the two-day summit, held in Moscow on October 28-29, which focused on expanding trade, investment, energy, security, and humanitarian cooperation between Russia and African nations.
During Friday’s talks with Sudan’s Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese leader proposed establishing a free economic zone on the Red Sea for Russian fuel and wheat storage facilities, as well as cooperation on a railway linking Port Sudan to Chad.
Burhan also offered Russian investors access to Sudan’s gold and copper deposits.
Putin presented a roadmap for bilateral cooperation and said Russia-Sudan trade had more than doubled in 2025, rising by a further 25% in January-August 2026.
Addressing the ongoing conflict in Sudan, Putin reiterated Moscow’s support for a political settlement and proposed discussing additional steps Russia could take to help resolve the crisis.
In a separate meeting with Madagascar President Michael Randrianirina, Putin highlighted expanding educational ties, noting that around 5,000 Malagasy students have studied in Russia and that MGIMO University signed a cooperation memorandum with Madagascar’s Foreign Ministry in June.
Putin also welcomed the Russian Orthodox Church’s recognition as a legal entity in Madagascar in April, noting that it has more than 1,500 parishioners on the island.
Randrianirina called for stronger practical cooperation and urged Moscow to accelerate work on debt conversion.
During talks with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, Putin said bilateral trade had grown by 6% between January and August. He added that Ghana ranks 12th among Russia’s African trading partners. The Russian leader also praised Ghana’s independent foreign policy and its opposition to neocolonialism, thanking Accra for its support for Russian resolutions at the UN.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama © Kirill Zykov / Sputnik / Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian forum host рhoto agency
Mahama expressed interest in expanding economic and investment cooperation with Moscow. The leader praised Russia for having “always stood by Africa” during the struggle against apartheid and for supporting the continent during the Covid-19 pandemic through supplies of Sputnik V vaccines.
At a meeting with Mali’s transitional president, Assimi Goita, Putin said Russia had increased its scholarship quota for Malian students to 300 places for the 2026-27 academic year, citing growing interest in Russian education and language studies. He added that six Russian language and cultural centers are operating in the West African country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mali’s transitional President Assimi Goita © Kirill Zykov / Sputnik / Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian forum host рhoto agency
During the summit, Putin also held at least nine more bilateral meetings with other African leaders, including the presidents of Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Kenya, as well as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Libya’s Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi.
