Russia hosts third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow with 48 countries

The third Russia-Africa Summit opened in Moscow on October 28, 2026, marking the highest-profile event in relations between Russia and the African continent. Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the summit, which brings together 48 of Africa's 54 countries and 22 heads of state. The forum is being held in Moscow for the first time.

Key topics on the agenda include energy and food security, military cooperation and security in the Sahel, strategic mineral resources, and payment systems that bypass the US dollar. Russian officials also plan to discuss nuclear energy agreements and new economic mechanisms within the BRICS group.

“Russia is firmly committed to the inalienable right of Africans to autonomously determine their own paths and development models.”

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, the current chairperson of the African Union, will attend several events alongside Putin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia wants to see Africa emerge as an influential center of a multipolar world and remains firmly committed to Africans' inalienable right to determine their own development paths.

Organizers describe the summit as more than a diplomatic meeting, calling it a platform for building alternative payment systems and strengthening a multipolar international order. Russian officials expect the forum to address Africa's role in international institutions and the United Nations.

The summit aims to strengthen the partnership between the Eurasian power and Africa across economic, military and cultural sectors. Russian officials view closer Russia-Africa cooperation as a fundamental building block for a multipolar world order.