Tanzanian PM to represent President Magufuli at Africa-Russia Summit
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) – Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa left Dar es Salaam for Russia on Sunday night to represent President John Magufuli in the Russia–Africa Summit to be held in Sochi from Wednesday.
According to a statement issued by the Tanzania Prime Minister’s Office, the two-day summit will be co-chaired by Russian President Vladmir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is also the chairman of African Union (AU).
The summit is an effort to strengthen relations between African nations and Russia, which faded after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in 1991.
The Sochi meeting will be held in two sessions with the first being the Russia Business Forum on the opening day, to be followed by a meeting between the Russian President and African heads of state and government on Thursday.
At least 3,000 African businessmen are expected to attend the event in Russia.
According to analysts, Russia is increasingly looking to Africa as a region where it can project power and influence.
They contend that AU is another important target of Russian diplomatic and security outreach in Africa and a tool for Russian diplomacy to counterbalance US and European influence in Africa.
-0- PANA EBM/MA 21Oct2019
