AU, Russia Deepen Strategic Partnership Ahead of Moscow Summit

Ethiopia, July 7, 2026 - The African Union (AU) and the Russian Federation have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership, strengthen cooperation on peace and security, and expand collaboration in trade, infrastructure, agriculture and health ahead of the Third Russia-Africa Summit scheduled for October in Moscow.

The commitment was made on Tuesday during high-level consultations between African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The meeting reviewed progress in implementing the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between the AU and Russia, as well as the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan 2023-2026, while laying the groundwork for a new cooperation framework covering the 2027-2029 period.

In a joint statement issued after the talks, both sides reaffirmed their "longstanding historical ties" founded on "solidarity, mutual respect, sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and shared aspirations for peace, development and prosperity."

The consultations also addressed major global and regional challenges, including conflicts in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region, Sudan, South Sudan and Libya, with both parties emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy as the preferred means of resolving disputes.

Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's backing for African-led peace initiatives, reiterating Russia's support for the principle of "African Solutions to African Problems."

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation reiterated his country's support for African-led and African-owned approaches to conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding, and post-conflict reconstruction and development," the joint statement said.

The AU and Russia also underscored the importance of sustainable financing for African Union-led peace support operations authorized by the United Nations Security Council, calling for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 to strengthen Africa's capacity to address security challenges.

The two sides further agreed to enhance coordination between Russia and the three African members of the UN Security Council, commonly known as the A3, on international peace and security matters.

On global governance, the discussions focused heavily on reforming international institutions.

Russia expressed support for Africa's long-standing demand for permanent representation on the UN Security Council, backing the African Common Position as outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.

"The Russian Federation expressed support for the African Common Position... regarding the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the Council to ensure equitable representation of Africa in global decision-making processes," the statement said.

The consultations also highlighted concerns over Africa's growing debt burden and limited access to affordable financing.

Both parties called for reforms to the international financial system, including multilateral development banks, to improve access to concessional loans, increase Africa's representation in global financial institutions, facilitate technology transfer and create fairer trade and investment frameworks.

Food security also featured prominently during the meeting, with the AU and Russia expressing concern over the impact of global supply disruptions on African countries.

The two sides pledged to ensure uninterrupted supplies of food, fertilizers and agricultural inputs while strengthening cooperation aimed at boosting agricultural production and resilience across the continent.

Health cooperation emerged as another key area of engagement following recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The AU and Russia agreed to explore closer collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in supporting outbreak response, laboratory capacity, surveillance systems and scientific research to prevent wider regional transmission.

Beyond health and security, the consultations explored opportunities to expand cooperation in infrastructure, energy, industrialization and transport connectivity under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).

Russia also reaffirmed its support for Agenda 2063, the African Union's long-term development blueprint, pledging to align future cooperation with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Africa's industrial transformation agenda.

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation reaffirmed support for Africa's development priorities as articulated in Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want," the statement noted.

The two sides encouraged stronger engagement between African and Russian businesses to increase trade and investment while welcoming ongoing efforts to strengthen Africa-Russia commercial cooperation mechanisms.

Looking ahead, both parties expressed confidence that the Third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for 28-29 October 2026 in Moscow,would inject fresh momentum into bilateral relations and help advance shared priorities in peace, development and economic cooperation.

The consultations concluded with an agreement to institutionalize annual high-level political consultations between the African Union Commission and the Russian Federation, creating what both sides described as a "long-term, predictable framework for cooperation."

AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf thanked Lavrov and his delegation for what he described as constructive engagement and reaffirmed the African Union's readiness to deepen cooperation with Russia in pursuit of peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity.

Lavrov, in turn, expressed appreciation for the warm reception and reaffirmed Russia's commitment to strengthening its partnership with Africa while supporting the continent's peace, security and development aspirations.

The next AU-Russia high-level consultations are scheduled to take place in 2027 at a mutually agreed venue.