OMM Newsroom
Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a series of high-level meetings ahead of the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi, seeking to deepen Moscow’s political and economic ties with countries in Africa and Asia.
Putin held separate talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reaffirmed his support for bilateral cooperation.
Cooperation with South Africa
During talks with Cyril Ramaphosa, Putin said relations between Moscow and Pretoria were developing steadily. The Russian leader noted growth in trade and educational cooperation, as well as an increase in reciprocal visits between the countries.
Putin also announced that scholarship opportunities in Russia had been expanded for students from South Africa. Ramaphosa welcomed the continuation of cooperation and said South Africa intended to participate actively in the Russia-Africa summit planned to take place in Moscow later this year.
The sides also discussed international issues. Putin thanked South Africa for supporting a number of Russian initiatives at the United Nations.
Trade and energy projects with Egypt
During the meeting with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the main focus was on trade ties and major infrastructure projects. The leaders emphasized that trade turnover between the two countries had exceeded $10 billion.
Among the joint projects, a prominent place is held by the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, which is being built by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Food security was also discussed. Stable grain supplies from Russia are particularly important for Egypt, one of the world’s largest wheat importers.
Putin invited the Egyptian president to the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow. The move highlights Egypt’s importance as a partner in Russia’s cooperation strategy on the African continent.
Ties with India and Malaysia
Economic cooperation was the main topic of talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Putin said trade between the two countries had increased significantly over the past year. The sides considered new opportunities in energy, tourism, education and technology.
During the meeting with Narendra Modi, the leaders discussed defense cooperation, energy security and the impact of ongoing conflicts on global trade routes. They exchanged views on tensions in the Middle East and the Black Sea region.
Modi said conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and stressed that India supported peace efforts.
Energy cooperation remains one of the key areas of India-Russia relations. India is Russia’s second-largest crude oil buyer after China. The two governments aim to increase annual trade turnover to $100 billion by 2030.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are also expected to attend the BRICS summit. Russia is using the summit to strengthen its economic partnerships with countries in Africa, Asia and the Global South and to demonstrate its diplomatic influence.
