Moscow assesses prospects for co-operation between Russia and Southern African Development Community

The Day of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held in Moscow. The event was hosted by the M. Rudomino All Russia State Library for Foreign Literature (LFL), a partner of TV BRICS.

Diplomats and students from SADC member countries took part in the celebrations. On the Russian side, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Moscow universities attended the event. One of the central themes of the meeting was the development of tourism in Southern Africa.

The programme included cultural events. Artists and students from SADC countries presented national dances, music and African cuisine. The guests could also visit an exhibition of cultural and art objects of the peoples of the region.

General Director of the Library of Foreign Literature Pavel Kuzmin noted the long history of relations between Russia and Africa.

"The Soviet Union and the Russian Federation have always interacted with and supported African countries. Today's event testifies to the expanding partnership with these states and the growing interest in their culture"

Pavel Kuzmin Director General of LFL

In his opinion, the Library of Foreign Literature has successfully acted as a platform for intercultural exchange and forming the foundations for future co-operation.

In turn, Andrey Stolyarov, Deputy Director of the Africa Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, congratulated the delegates on the 32nd anniversary of the SADC and spoke about the partnership between members of the community and the Russian Federation.

"This year, the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between SADC and Russia has been extended. The document covers a wide range of issues such as security, trade, transport, industry and high-tech development," the diplomat said.

He expressed confidence that co-operation between Russia and SADC countries would contribute to the prosperity of the continent and its peoples. 

Angola's Ambassador to Moscow Augusto da Silva Cunha emphasised the scale and potential of integration processes between Southern African countries.

"The countries of the Southern African Development Community have a total population of 389 million people and a combined GDP of US$841 billion. These figures create huge trade and investment potential for the region. In 2024, an agreement was signed to establish a free trade area between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and SADC"

Augusto da Silva Cunha Angola's Ambassador to Russia

He recalled the importance of foreign investment to sustain the growth and development of the economy of the region, which has prospects of becoming one of Africa's industrial centres.

The Southern African Development Community was established in 1993 on the basis of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference, which had existed since 1980. The objectives of SADC include the removal of trade barriers, socio-economic co-operation and integration among member countries. To date, the association includes 16 states.

Photo: TV BRICS