Ex-Austrian FM Kneissl Hails Russia-Africa Summit as Outshining EU's 'Negative Approach'

The second Russia-Africa Summit, aimed at improving rapport between Moscow and African states, kicked off in St. Petersburg on July 27, 2023.

The event, which attracted nearly 50 delegations from African countries and regional and sub-regional integration associations, is expected to help enhance economic, cultural and security cooperation between Russia and African states, as well as to aid the continent in attaining “food sovereignty.”

Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl who attended the plenary session at the summit, told Sputnik about the “good atmosphere” at the event and about “lots of very solid projects” being discussed there, with everybody at the summit “getting along in a very smooth and cool way.”

“Plus, I enjoyed very much listening to Dilma Rousseff, the former Brazilian president who was appointed director of the BRICS bank. She elaborated a lot on this watershed line that we are currently observing, which is called de-dollarization,” she added.

Comparing Russia’s approach in dealing with African states with the approach adopted by the European Union, Kneissl said that the EU seems to care only about “migration” and, unlike Russia, does not appear to be interested in engaging in business projects with African nations as equals.

“Now the EU is concluding contracts with Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco. But it's a very negative approach. It's something like 'you keep your refugees and we will then do some sort of business.' Because it is not real business. It's not a true equal footing business,” said Kneissl who was involved in the EU-Africa Summit of 2018.

Regarding the activity of Russian companies on the African continent, Kneissl pointed out that “they are now fully engaged” there, pointing out that, while it was “mostly about oil and gas” in the past, now their interests have also expanded to “metals.”

“It's uranium for Rosatom in Namibia. It is metals for the new age artificial intelligence and all whatever you need in that segment. So I would say companies are quicker than other institutions such as universities, which are lagging behind,” she remarked. “But the companies had the presence, are present, and I think they are simply enlarging their cooperation.”