CIS and Africa: Coordination for Trade and Economic Partnership

On September 16, inter-foreign ministry consultations titled "On Cooperation between CIS Member States and African Countries and Integration Blocs" took place at the CIS headquarters in Minsk. Representatives from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the CIS Executive Committee participated in the meeting, with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan attending as observers. The meeting was chaired by Tatyana Dovgalenko, Director of the Department for Partnership with Africa at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Discussions focused on establishing cooperation with Africa, particularly with the African Union and other integration blocs on the continent. Participants exchanged assessments of the regional security situation and outlined concrete steps to expand the "CIS–Africa" ​​partnership in the trade-economic and humanitarian spheres. The outcomes were recorded in a protocol.

Coordination among CIS countries regarding Africa reduces the risk of duplicating efforts and enhances the negotiating power of each participant. For Russian business, this means the creation of common standards for export support and easier market access through collective initiatives.

The "CIS–Africa" ​​format could serve as an additional platform for promoting Russian companies, especially in countries where bilateral ties remain underdeveloped. The participation of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as observers signals a widening circle of interested states and the potential opening of new logistics routes.

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