This research thesis is my original work and has not been submitted for the award of a degree in any other University or institution. To my supervisor, my sincere thanks for the guidance and for always being available when I needed to consult and also revise my document.
Background to the Study
Russia's perception of Africa had begun to transform in the context of new state priorities and values in the 21st century (Abbink, 2016). Putin announced at the summit that trade would double in the next four or five years.
Statement of the Problem
However, partnerships in other sectors are expected to flourish, particularly in areas of Russian strength. All these developments pointed to Russia's recognition of Africa's growing role in the contemporary world, as well as Russia's desire to participate in solving international problems on the continent in order to create a multipolar world system (Emelyanov, 2017). .
Research Justification
Research Methodology
Introduction
Background of Russia and Africa Relations
Between 2005 and 2006, more than thirty political meetings were held with the diplomatic departments of African countries. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2018), President Vladimir Putin noted Russia's intention to expand business relations with the region.
Russias Renewed Economic Interests on African States
According to Öztürk (2016), the most important social and economic directions of the nations within the area clearly outline these actualities. By losing the influence of the Cold War period to the USA and China, Moscow is likely to be focused on investment, political alliance and arms trade with the African continent regarding the natural resources in the near term (Sergunin, 2019).
Case studies of Russia Relations in The Horn of Africa
Africa for the purposes of creating a visible and concrete presence in the region for Russia's urgent requirements. Somalia was a known Soviet ally as it had a Marxist-Leninist government during the Cold War.
Theoretical Review
According to Roth and Cunningham (2015), about 12 percent of the world's oil flows through the Gulf of Aden, which is among the world's most important waterways. In addition, the interests of the state are promoted by identity, especially through the intuitively established configuration of systemic interests and identities. Arguably, this quest for recognition and the ability to shape international order are the main drivers of Russia's foreign policy and its political and economic activities (Mehmet, 2018).
Chapter Summary
Introduction
Russia Africa Trade Relations
Since 2000, Russia's trade with Africa began to grow, but with imports of African products growing at a slower rate than Russian exports to the African continent (Grifths, 2015). However, it is worth noting that Russia's renewed interests in Africa have been fueled by. According to Ball and Davies, (2018) oil and gas account for 30 percent of Russia's GDP and account for more than 40 percent of government revenue.
Agriculture
According to African Development Bank (2015), Africa's rich untapped oil and natural gas reserves provide an opportunity for Russia's outbound exploration drive and strategic objective to remain the world's largest exporter of oil second only to Saudi Arabia and natural gas, and to overtake Europe s dependence on its export of natural gas. While Russia's trade with Africa has increased in recent years, its exports to Africa reached $20 billion in 2018, double the level of trade in 2015, its economic involvement in the continent is dwarfed by countries such as the US, China and France (Raviot , 2018) ). Russia's privately-owned Eurochem plans to use sulphate of potash sourced in Eritrea to produce nitrogen, phosphate and potassium fertilizers at its plants in Belgium and Russia.
Energy Resource Interests
Department of Energy Information Administration, Angola is the second largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria, and recent research suggests that Angola's oil and natural gas reserves may be greater than initially estimated. Significant investment from Russia would be required to explore, extract and export the largely untapped energy resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, windfalls from oil wealth have largely contributed to widespread corruption and abuse within African governments (Malsin, 2016).
Growing Interest of Russian Investors
As mentioned above, Russia's energy doctrine is designed to be expansionist, seeking control over resources to meet energy needs. The absence of new discoveries and technological advances, which weakens Russia's domestic energy, together with the lack of easy access to the remaining underground mineral deposits in Russia, are among the factors that lead to Russian Africa's considerable natural resources (Fituni & Abramova, 2016). . . While Africa's share of global energy production is around 12 percent and increasing, its share of global commercial energy consumption is only 3 percent, representing a significant supply for Russia's growing demand for oil (Arkhangelskaya & Shubin, 2015).
Prospect for Russias Reengagement with Africa
In fact, Africa's untapped mineral reserves, which account for about 30 percent of the world's resources, will strategically complement Russia's dwindling natural resource base, including zinc, diamond, gold, uranium, oil, copper, nickel, manganese, bauxite and coal. (Fainberg, 2017). Russia's geopolitical goal of increasing Europe's dependence on energy imports also inspired its pursuit of African natural resources. In terms of natural gas, Africa's share of the world's 181.46 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves is estimated at 7.8 percent (Klomegah, 2016).
Security for Economic Advantages
According to the same source, a large part of the business with Russia takes place in the gray zone of the economy, and it seems that Lavrov's visit was the signal for a change of approach in relation to respecting financial rules. The minister ended his trip in Ethiopia on the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which was celebrated in the Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa. Unlike in the other four countries he visited, however, Lavrov paid less attention to relaunching trade than to the strategic importance of the Horn of Africa and Djibouti, where most of Russia's competitors have military or logistical bases (Emelyanov, 2017).
Russia and South Africa
In September 2012, basic agreements for the Mi-8 and Mi-17 multi-purpose helicopters were signed between Russia and South Africa. Although Russia recognizes South Africa as one of the most promising markets in the developing world, and the most promising and reliable partner in Africa, current trade and investment positions between Russia and South Africa are far below their potential. An increase in trade and investment flows is considered the most important area for strengthening cooperation between Russia and South Africa (Abbink, 2016).
Russia and Egypt
On the economic side, the Russian Industrial Zone project in the Suez Canal Economic Zone is Russia's first foreign project. The Russian capital in the infrastructure projects of the project amounted to $190 million, while the expected investment is about $7 billion. On a bilateral level, the two countries signed an agreement in Cairo on 11 December 2017 to establish Egypt's nuclear power project in the Dabaa region (Deich, 2018).
Russia and Angola
Egypt will again host Russian and Egyptian paratroopers in 2018, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. VTB successfully entered the Angolan market in 2006 via a partnership with a consortium of local private capital with close ties to the Angolan government. Russia's involvement in the Angolan diamond industry dates back to the early 1980s through ALROSA's Soviet predecessor, the state diamond company, Yakutalmaz, when it carried out a geological survey and feasibility study of the Catoca mine for the Angolan government.
Russia and Nigeria
Within the context of strengthening the entire relationship, it is also necessary to promote cooperation with the support of the Intergovernmental Russian-Nigerian Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, and also through direct contacts between members of the Russian and Nigerian business communities to strengthen. as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Russia and Kenya
There has been a significant increase in Kenyan arms purchases from Russia recently, despite Russia still maintaining as one of the sources of procurement for the country (RWR Advisory, Group 2016). Like the relationship with the nation of Uganda, despite the growing relationship in strategic areas such as nuclear energy and natural resources, it would be noted that there is a great impossibility for the relationship between Russia and Kenya to go beyond the economic aspect, in Africa. , as a result of Kenya's relationship with the US. In the Cold War period, Kenya happened to be a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, thus maintaining good relations with the SU.
The Sochi Russia Africa Summit
These projects are just a small sampling of the plans that Moscow hopes will double Russian-African trade over the next few years. It is no secret that Putin resents the dominance of the US-led liberal international. The recent series of missteps and miscalculations by Washington have greatly damaged the reputation and credibility of the United States.
Dealing with Infrastructure Bottlenecks
Russias Competitive Advantage
The 1st Russia-Africa High-Level Investment Summit, scheduled for the end of the year in the Black Sea city of Sochi, Russia, will provide an opportunity to introduce African corporate and sovereign leaders to their counterparts in Russia and increase items of common interest aimed at greater consolidation levels of engagement for a win-win alliance. The fact is that a large number of African leaders have taken the predictions of the event wholeheartedly. If we learn from Russia's experience of a few years in the zero-sum game of conflicting interests in geopolitics, it is a solid relationship between the security of the country and the development of its economy.
Moments in History
That said, Russia's lofty expectations may be overshadowed by several tentative roadblocks. Also, other experts from Russia demand that the current ruling leaders of the nation do not overestimate the actual advantages of SU in Africa during the Cold War: both military-technical and economic cooperation between the countries of Africa happened to be somewhat one-way instead of mutually beneficial cooperation (Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Russian Federation, 2018). Apparently, no matter how the change was faced, thinking about Russia during the cooperation with the continent of Africa reserved much of its old essence.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of the findings
Therefore, Russia is likely to penetrate the continent in a more organized and powerful manner, even if it will never reach the level of the African explosion of the 1960s. There will be increasing involvement of the politically and economically powerful actors of the world such as the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom France, China, Japan, India and Brazil on the African continent. To be left out of the game within the context of this growing African trend would be to be left out of the game on the international stage.
Conclusion
Russia-Africa relations have the potential to contribute to Russia's achievement of its priority national interests. Russian businesses interested in Africa have taken small steps, such as the formation of the Coordinating Committee for Economic Cooperation with Sub-Saharan African Countries (AfroCom) in 2009, chaired by Vladimir Dmitriev under the auspices of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. . . Russia's pursuit of strategic natural resources will benefit African countries; not only from the point of view of income generation, but also because of the catalytic role that increased investments will have in socio-economic growth and development.
Recommendations
2015), The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa: Money, War and the Business of Power, Polity Press. Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of South Africa 2015. Available at:. 2017), Foreign Policy of Russia-Africa Relations of the Russian Federation, Moscow. 2016), Africa's Resource Potential and Russia's National Interests in the 21st Century, Scientific Council of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
