Vladimir Putin has presented Russia to African leaders as a fairer partner than the continent's former colonial powers, Al Jazeera reports from the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
Addressing delegations from 48 African countries on Wednesday, 22 of them led by heads of state, the Russian president accused Western countries of using debt and harsh lending terms to hold back African development. He said Russian businesses processed raw materials locally, creating jobs and tax revenue, rather than exploiting resources.
Putin said Russia had shipped 13 million tonnes of agricultural goods to Africa in the first nine months of the year and was ready to widen those supplies. He was due to hold separate talks with individual leaders on trade, security, grain and arms, and the summit is expected to close with a joint declaration on closer cooperation.
Source: Al Jazeera
Photo: KosyginaStreet Moscow view to Khamovniki 06-2015 img1 by A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Moscow.
