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Russia-Africa Summit Day Two: Putin and African leaders address Kremlin gathering

Leaders are set to adopt a three-year cooperation plan before the Russian president holds a new round of bilateral talks

Published 29 Oct, 2026 06:37 | Updated 29 Oct, 2026 11:42

Russia-Africa Summit Day Two: Putin and African leaders address Kremlin gathering

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting African leaders and government delegations at the Kremlin for the second day of the Russia-Africa Summit, where another round of presidential talks is on the agenda.

Putin and African Union chair Evariste Ndayishimiye have opened the first session, focused on international affairs and Africa’s growing global role, and a working breakfast will give other delegation heads the floor.

The gathering is expected to conclude with a declaration on the wider partnership, a separate text on artificial intelligence, and a cooperation action plan for 2027-2029. A package of 33 agreements is also expected to be signed. Putin and Ndayishimiye will then brief the media before the Russian president holds bilateral talks with counterparts from Burundi, Namibia, Kenya, Sudan, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe.

At Wednesday’s opening economic forum proposals to expand trade, strengthen financial independence, and turn Africa’s resources into local industrial growth were submitted. Putin backed reform of the IMF and World Bank, called for a re-doubling of Russia-Africa trade to $50 billion, and offered to share Russian digital technologies. He also announced the extension of Russia’s epidemic-control program in Africa until 2029.

RT is following Thursday’s speeches, signings, and talks at the Kremlin, bringing you announcements, reactions, and footage from Moscow.

29 October 2026
14:18 GMT
Ethiopia is seeking to expand cooperation with Russia in nuclear energy, AI, and trade, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said.
“We are decisively collaborating with Russia to construct a world-class nuclear power plant,” the minister wrote on X, describing the project as a way to diversify Ethiopia’s energy supply and strengthen bilateral ties.
Speaking at the summit, he also invited Russian universities to cooperate on AI technologies adapted to African languages and encouraged Russian companies to invest in special economic zones across the continent.
I am delighted to address the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. To ensure the historic decisions made here yield tangible results, our collective commitment and cooperation are vital. Ethiopia remains focused on three pillars crucial to our national development and sustainable prosperity: food security and productivity, reliable energy supply, and skills and knowledge transfer. Our diplomatic ties with Russia span over a century, rooted in mutual respect and shared benefits. To elevate this historic friendship, we are decisively collaborating with Russia to construct a world-class nuclear power plant. This strategic partnership will diversify our energy options, accelerate Ethiopia’s prosperity, and strengthen our bilateral bond more than ever.
— Abiy Ahmed Ali 🇪🇹 (@AbiyAhmedAli) October 29, 2026
14:00 GMT
Cooperation between Egypt and Russia provides “a successful model” for Moscow’s relations with the wider African continent, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said during the Russia-Africa Summit’s plenary session at the Grand Kremlin Palace.
He highlighted the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership, pointing to the Russian-built El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and the planned Russian industrial zone in the Suez Canal area as major joint projects.
© Yuri Kochetkov / Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian forum host рhoto agency
14:00 GMT
If you are just joining us, here are the key developments from day two of the Russia-Africa Summit:
• Leaders meet at the Kremlin. Putin and African Union chair Evariste Ndayishimiye addressed the plenary session before discussions moved to a working breakfast. A 2027-2029 cooperation plan and declarations on the wider partnership and artificial intelligence are expected.
• Trade and financial independence feature prominently. Putin reported that trade exceeded $27 billion last year and that the ruble now accounts for up to 85% of Russia-Africa commercial transactions. He also backed greater African representation in the UN Security Council and international financial institutions.
• African leaders press for concrete results and independent choices. Ndayishimiye urged investment programs that deliver on commitments, stressing that Africa had not come to ask for aid. DR Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi said diversifying partnerships was about strengthening freedom of decision-making, not choosing sides.
• Bilateral cooperation takes shape. The Kremlin said Putin presented country-specific cooperation roadmaps during his meetings. Kenya’s William Ruto highlighted Sberbank’s readiness to cooperate on artificial intelligence in healthcare and education.
• Media cooperation continues alongside the summit. Ethiopia’s Fana and RT renewed their agreement, while descendants of African liberation leaders discussed independence and historical ties with Russia at RT’s media forum session.
13:40 GMT
Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has stressed that diversifying international partnerships is about preserving his country’s freedom to make its own decisions.
“Diversifying our partnerships is not about choosing sides: it is about strengthening our freedom of decision-making in the service of our populations,” he declared during a speech on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, according to a post by his office on X.
« Diversifier nos partenariats n’est pas choisir un camp : c’est renforcer notre liberté de décision au service de nos populations », a souligné le Chef de l’État lors de son allocution en marge du 3ᵉ Sommet Russie-Afrique à Moscou. https://t.co/G6KTP2gUoU
— Présidence RDC 🇨🇩 (@Presidence_RDC) October 29, 2026
13:40 GMT
Relations between Russia and Gambia are expected to deepen further, Gambian Foreign Minister Sering Modou Njie has said.
“I think the relationship built on a very strong foundation will gradually improve to a level much desired by the two sides,” he said.
The minister notes that diplomatic ties date back to Gambia’s independence in 1965, highlighting Russia’s opening of an embassy in Banjul last month as a sign of both countries’ commitment to strengthening relations.
13:28 GMT
At Gostiny Dvor, African delegates join in traditional Russian folk dances as the summit continues.
13:17 GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented African leaders with country-specific roadmaps for developing bilateral relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“During the bilateral meetings, the president handed over to each of the countries whose heads he met with a specific roadmap that Russia proposes for developing relations,” Peskov says.
READ MORE: Russia-Africa Summit 2026: What you need to know about building a multipolar world without the West
13:03 GMT
Ethiopia’s Fana Media Corporation and RT have renewed their cooperation agreement, Fana announced on Facebook, adding to media partnerships concluded during this week’s Russia-Africa events in Moscow.
On Monday, Libya’s national news agency signed a memorandum with RT Arabic covering content and expertise exchanges. Rossiya Segodnya also concluded agreements with outlets in Algeria, Chad, Morocco, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.
12:57 GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests continuing discussions with African delegation leaders over a working breakfast to make the most of their time at the Third Russia-Africa Summit.
12:55 GMT
Russia and India have the potential to develop joint projects in Africa, particularly in healthcare, Andrey Maslov, the director of the Center for African Studies at HSE University, tells RT.
Maslov says India already plays a major role in healthcare across many African countries, and Russia has the capacity and interest to invest in medical facilities on the continent.
He also suggests expanding Russia-India payment arrangements to African markets to facilitate trade, noting that joint projects have yet to emerge.

29 October 2026
06:52 GMT
Russia-Ethiopia trade exceeded $1.3 billion in January–September, “more than twice the figure for the whole of 2025,” Putin noted during talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday.
Abiy urged both sides to make nuclear cooperation “a priority area of our work,” highlighting financing, specialist training and access to medical isotopes. Earlier in the day, the prime minister announced delivery of Ethiopia’s first 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets, with four S-400 air-defense batteries also due.
06:56 GMT
Kenyan President William Ruto has described Russia-Africa ties as rooted in support for independence struggles and scientific, educational, and technical development, and urged a “stronger economic and developmental foundation” for the partnership.
Africa is preparing to “claim its rightful place in the markets, factories, laboratories, research institutions and innovation centres of the world where the future of the global economy is being created,” he wrote on X following Wednesday’s plenary session.
The Russia-Africa relationship is rooted in a history of engagement, including Russia’s contribution to Africa’s struggles for independence and the development of scientific, educational and technical capabilities in several African countries. We have an opportunity to build on that history by giving our partnership a stronger economic and developmental foundation as Africa readies itself to claim its rightful place in the markets, factories, laboratories, research institutions and innovation centres of the world where the future of the global economy is being created.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 28, 2026
07:16 GMT
African leaders and government delegations are arriving at the Grand Kremlin Palace for the summit’s final day. Delegations from 48 African countries are participating, including 22 led by heads of state, alongside representatives of continental and regional organizations.
07:24 GMT
More than 3,500 people from 74 countries are participating in the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, presidential adviser and organizing committee executive secretary Anton Kobyakov has reported. He described the gathering as drawing worldwide attention and delivering strong results.
07:34 GMT
The West is using Ukrainian mercenaries in Africa to pursue its colonial objectives on the continent, Kobyakov alleged during a briefing at the Russia-Africa Media Forum. His remarks echo accusations by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger that Ukraine supports armed groups in the Sahel, which the three countries brought before the UN Security Council in August 2024.
07:36 GMT
Russia is helping African nations resist Western neocolonialism, presidential adviser and organizing committee executive secretary Anton Kobyakov has said on the sidelines of day two of the summit.
07:57 GMT
Russian mobile laboratories are already operating in 11 African countries, Anna Popova, the head of Russian health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, has said at the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.
“We share our methods, and our mobile laboratories, which we have developed and which are now operating in many countries around the world,” Popova said, adding that the laboratories demonstrate the effectiveness of Russia’s approach.
08:02 GMT
Africa needs partnerships based on mutual benefit rather than apologies from Western countries for their colonial past, Raymond Matlala, chairman of South Africa’s BRICS Youth Association, has told RT on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Media Forum in Moscow.
“I’m not hopeful about them apologizing. Africa needs a mutual partner,” Matlala said.
He accused Western countries of exploiting Africa and stressed the need for genuine partnerships that support the continent’s development.
08:10 GMT
Russia aims to strengthen its transport and logistics presence in Africa as the continent becomes a hub linking Europe and the Global South, presidential adviser Igor Levitin has told the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.
He adds that Moscow sees consolidating its presence on the continent as a “strategic direction” for transport logistics.
08:11 GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun his speech at the plenary session.
He stresses that Russian companies invest in African countries and treat their partners with honesty and respect rather than adopting a colonial approach.