By Andualem Sisay Gessesse – Moscow, the capital of Russia, and other regions have today shared their smart urban development experiences to African countries at the Russia-Africa sustainable urban future meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
At meeting entitled, “Russia-Africa Sustainable Urban Future: Exchange of Experiences and Partnerships for Common Goals”, officials and experts of Moscow City, Samara, and Kazan regions among others, have shared their urban development best practices that are related to some of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The success stories of Russia range from special economic zones in Moscow (Technopolis Moscow) to digitization of over 400 public services that are being utilized by over 15 million people living in the capital, according to the presentation of Ms. Tatiana Naumova, Head of Official Events and Protocol Division of the Department for External and International Relations of Moscow.
“This meeting is important to promote SDGs and raising the social development of the people in the regions of Russia and African countries,” says Dr. Alexey Borisov, Secretary General of the UNA-Russia, commenting to New Business Ethiopia about the significance of the meeting that focused on experience sharing.
In terms of environmental protection, Moscow’s Green Bonds with a volume of 2 billion Rubles for two years, and replacement of diesel busses with 1,000 electric buses are also presented as among the success stories of Russia African countries may get lessons from.
At the moment the inhabitants of Moscow are also enjoying 40,000 electric scooters, and 40,000 electric bicycles. It is also indicated that Moscow Is the fist county in the world to introduce 21 electric vessels on two routes.
It is also stated that in terms of biodiversity and environmental monitoring, at the moment half of Moscow’s land surface is green with 145 specially protected natural areas and 3,270 species of animals. In the past ten years Moscow has also cut air pollution by half. Now Moscow has installed 56 automatic air, water, soil, noise level quality monitoring stations.
“As the population of the world has continued to grow rapidly with influx of people from rural areas to urban areas, it is necessary to collaborate and exchange experiences on how to manage the issue. That is why this meeting is important,” said Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Mr. Evgeny Terekhin, who spoke with reporters using one of the national languages of Ethiopia, Amharic.
To strengthened the long-standing bonds between African countries and Russia, the Government of Russia has also made available opportunities for African students to study in Russia covering their expenses, according to Dr. Alexey Borisov.
“…We have long history of relationship between Russia and Ethiopia, between Russia and other African countries… I see we have common interest to promote our rights within the UN system…That is why SDG is a very good platform to collaborate,” he said. It is indicated that the meeting opened today will continue tomorrow online and from Nairobi, Kenya involving participants from Kenya, Moscow, Addis Ababa and other parts of Africa.
To further strengthen the political, economic and social ties between Russia and African countries, the second Russia-Africa Forum that is expected to be attended by the heads of states, is set to take place in Saint Petersburg, Russia at the end of next month.
Growing interest
Russia and Africa have a long history of diplomatic relations dating back to the Soviet era. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union provided military and economic aid to various African countries, including Angola, Ethiopia, and Mozambique. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s engagement with Africa declined significantly. However, in recent years, Russia has been seeking to re-establish its presence on the continent.
One of the key drivers of Russia’s renewed interest in Africa is its desire to expand its geopolitical influence and counterbalance Western powers such as the United States and China. Russia has been pursuing this goal by deepening its economic ties with African countries through trade and investment agreements. In 2019, Russia hosted the first-ever Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, which brought together leaders from across the continent to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation.
News reports show that Russia has also been increasing its military presence in Africa. In 2015, it established a naval base in Sudan, and in 2019 it signed a military cooperation agreement with the Central African Republic. These moves have raised concerns among some Western powers about Russia’s intentions in Africa.
Another area of focus for Russia in Africa is energy. Many African countries are rich in natural resources such as oil and gas, and Russia has been seeking to tap into these reserves through partnerships with local companies. For example, Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft has signed deals with several African countries to explore and develop oil fields.
Overall, while Russia’s engagement with Africa remains relatively modest compared to other major powers such as China and the United States, it is clear that Moscow sees the continent as an important arena for competition and cooperation.