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🗓 Today, on June 5, the XXVII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has kicked off. The main theme of the event is "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World". Over the years, the Forum has become the world's leading platform for the business community to communicate and discuss key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets and the world as a whole. 👨‍💼👩‍💼 More than 17,100 people from 136 countries and territories, as well as 3,400 media representatives are participating in SPIEF-2024. The plenary session of the Forum will traditionally be addressed by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who has previously sent greeting to the participants, organisers and guests of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. The SPIEF-2024 business programme consists of four thematic tracks: 🔹 The Transition to a Multipolar World Economy; 🔹 Goals and Objectives of Russia’s New Economic Cycle; 🔹 Technologies for Leadership; 🔹 A Healthy Society, Traditional Values and Social Development: The Priority of the State. The programme includes more than 150 thematic sessions with over 1,000 moderators and speakers. In addition, events organised by the Russian Foreign Ministry will traditionally take place on the margins of the SPIEF: • On June 7, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold a briefing, as well as a session on "International and National Experiences of Artificial Intelligence Regulation: Best Practices"; • On June 8, The International Affairs, a magazine published by the Foreign Ministry, will hold a debate titled "Polycentricity: The Norm of a Future World without Colonies and Hegemons". 🤝 The programme of events of the SPIEF-2024 international track includes more than 10 business dialogues, including formats EAEU-ASEAN, #RussiaAfrica, #RussiaLatinAmerica, #RussiaChina, #RussiaSouthAfrica, #RussiaKazakhstan, #RussiaIndia, #RussiaIran, #RussiaBrazil and other bilateral meetings. The forum will last until June 8. #SPIEF2024

🗓 Today, on June 5, the XXVII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has kicked off. The main theme of the event is "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World". Over the years, the Forum has become the world's leading platform for the business community to communicate and discuss key economic issues facing Russia, emerging markets and the world as a whole. 👨‍💼👩‍💼 More than 17,100 people from 136 countries and territories, as well as 3,400 media representatives are participating in SPIEF-2024. The plenary session of the Forum will traditionally be addressed by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who has previously sent greeting to the participants, organisers and guests of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. The SPIEF-2024 business programme consists of four thematic tracks: 🔹 The Transition to a Multipolar World Economy; 🔹 Goals and Objectives of Russia’s New Economic Cycle; 🔹 Technologies for Leadership; 🔹 A Healthy Society, Traditional Values and Social Development: The Priority of the State. The programme includes more than 150 thematic sessions with over 1,000 moderators and speakers. In addition, events organised by the Russian Foreign Ministry will traditionally take place on the margins of the SPIEF: • On June 7, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold a briefing, as well as a session on "International and National Experiences of Artificial Intelligence Regulation: Best Practices"; • On June 8, The International Affairs, a magazine published by the Foreign Ministry, will hold a debate titled "Polycentricity: The Norm of a Future World without Colonies and Hegemons". 🤝 The programme of events of the SPIEF-2024 international track includes more than 10 business dialogues, including formats EAEU-ASEAN, #RussiaAfrica, #RussiaLatinAmerica, #RussiaChina, #RussiaSouthAfrica, #RussiaKazakhstan, #RussiaIndia, #RussiaIran, #RussiaBrazil and other bilateral meetings. The forum will last until June 8. #SPIEF2024

🎙Video address by President of Russia Vladimir Putin on 70th anniversary of Baikonur Space Centre (June 2, 2025) 💬 Mr. President Tokayev, Russian and Kazakh friends, employees and veteran workers of the Baikonur Space Centre. I extend my heartfelt greetings on this momentous occasion, the 70th anniversary of the legendary Baikonur Space Centre. It was on June 2, 1955, that a historic state decision marked the beginning of a unique rocket testing site in the Soviet Union – destined to become the world’s first spaceport. Just a decade after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the multiethnic Soviet nation, having endured immense tragedy and devastating losses, achieved the remarkable. The Soviet people not only rebuilt cities and towns from the ruins and ignited powerful economic and technological progress, but also took a bold leap into the future, launching visionary and ambitious plans that opened the path to space, to the stars. The creation of Baikonur, along with the entire space programme, stands as a true feat, a testament to courage, determination, and heroic spirit. We honour the monumental, selfless labour of the hundreds of thousands from all the republics of the Union who envisioned, designed, and built Baikonur, and who worked at the cosmodrome from its earliest days. <...> It was here, at Baikonur, that the countdown to a new era in human history began – where dreams took flight and became reality. From this very site, in 1957, the R-7 rocket carried the first artificial satellite into orbit, and on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin launched from Baikonur to become the first human to journey around the Earth in space. The history of Baikonur is rich with remarkable milestones. Among them are the pioneering flight of the first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963; the launch of the world’s first manned orbital station, Salyut-1, in 1971; and the historic liftoff of the reusable spacecraft Buran in 1988. It was also from Baikonur that the Zarya module was launched in 1998, ushering in the construction of the International Space Station, which continues to operate in orbit to this day. Baikonur has witnessed more than 2,500 launches and has sent over 200 cosmonauts into orbit. From its launch pads, representatives of numerous countries have embarked on space missions, many of them scientists conducting groundbreaking experiments and advancing both fundamental and applied research. It is fitting that the space centre was named Baikonur, meaning “rich land” in Kazakh. Indeed, its contribution to international scientific and technological progress is immense, truly rich in every sense, and beyond measure. Baikonur remains one of the largest and most advanced spaceports in the world. With a workforce of around seven thousand, this versatile complex plays an active role in the space programmes of Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and numerous other countries. 🇷🇺🤝🇰🇿 Baikonur also stands as a powerful symbol of the strategic partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan. Dozens of treaties and agreements have been signed between our nations, governing all aspects of the cosmodrome’s operations and the administration of the city of Baikonur. Baikonur stands as a vivid example of how cooperation and integration can serve the mutual interests of both Russia and Kazakhstan, enhancing their international standing and reinforcing their leadership in science, innovation, and various high-tech sectors. Russia will continue to make significant efforts to support the development of the city of Baikonur and to ensure the wellbeing of its residents, both Russian and Kazakh citizens. The active operation of the space centre and the creation of favourable conditions for its continued use remain among our top priorities. I wish you good health and continued success in advancing our national space industry and in strengthening the partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan. Once again, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on this memorable anniversary. Read in full #RussiaKazakhstan

⚡Russian trade relations with Asia have increased by 60%, with the Middle East by two times, with Africa by 69%, and with Latin America by 42%. Vladimir Putin provided the data at the plenary session of SPIEF 2024. Here are the key takeaways on international agenda from his speech: Shifting trade dynamics 🔹 Russia remains a key player in global trade, actively expanding its geographical reach. 🔹 Russia is restructuring its import and export flows, with friendly nations now accounting for three-quarters of its trade turnover. 🔹 The focus will be on supporting non-resource and non-energy exports. 🔹 Exports of finished high-tech products have increased. Russia is prepared to offer other countries full-fledged, full-cycle technological partnerships. Transport and Logistics 🔹 The volume of cargo transportation along international routes through Russia is expected to grow by 50%. 🔹 A key project in this area is the development of the Eastern Polygon of railways. Northern Sea Route and Arctic Development 🔹 Recognizing the demand for global transportation arteries, Russia will continue developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR). 🔹 In 2023, 36 million tons of cargo were transported via the NSR. This figure could exceed 150 million tons in the future. 🔹A commission dedicated to the development of the Arctic and the NSR will be established within the Russian State Council. Financial sovereignty and BRICS expansion 🔹 The share of settlements in rubles for Russian exports has tripled to 39%. 🔹 Russia will enhance the security of cross-border payment infrastructure, particularly within the BRICS framework. 🔹The BRICS’ share of global GDP has reached 36%, while its population share stands at 46%. @RoscongressDirect #SPIEF2024

🎙Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement at a joint press conference with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty following the Second Ministerial Conference of the #RussiaAfrica Partnership Forum (Cairo, December 20, 2025) Read in full 💬Sergey Lavrov: We conducted a thorough discussion of the full Russian-African agenda. Our focus was in particular on reviewing the implementation of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026 and on identifying further steps to expand our trade, economic, and investment cooperation – a partnership that is growing rapidly and which we are committed to strengthening. We have agreed to create conditions that facilitate concrete steps to increase mutual trade and to implement promising joint investment projects in high-tech industries, all aspects of energy and other areas, including in cultural, humanitarian and educational spheres. All these areas of practical cooperation are detailed in the comprehensive Joint Statement, which was unanimously approved and which will serve as the central guideline for our future work. Importantly, this document places special emphasis, within the trade and economic sphere, on establishing resilient financial, logistical, and interbank mechanisms that will safeguard our partnership from illegal unilateral sanctions – a practice our joint statement clearly defines as unacceptable. The Joint Statement also captures the progress of our discussions on pressing international and regional issues, including those of global significance. We decided to continue coordinating our efforts in multilateral forums. This includes advancing the reform of the UN Security Council, taking full account of the legitimate interests of African states, and reforming the Bretton Woods institutions, whose composition and practices significantly lag behind today’s global economic realities. I would like to highlight the section of the Statement that outlines our shared fundamental approaches to key issues of international development. In particular, I note the clear position that all states must respect the principles of the UN Charter not selectively but in their entirety and interdependent integrity. Significant attention in the Statement is devoted to strengthening the independence of our African friends, particularly in the economic sphere. To protect their right to independent development, their right to choose their own partners and foreign policy priorities, the Statement proclaims our clear support for the recent UN General Assembly resolution establishing December 14 as the annual International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations. This will serve to intensify our shared efforts at the UN to eradicate contemporary forms of colonialism and neocolonial practices. Finally, our shared position on the urgent resolution of the Palestinian issue, in full compliance with existing UN resolutions, as my colleague detailed, is clearly enshrined in the Statement. The Joint Statement also contains our shared decision to strengthen cooperation in politics and security. It is one of the reasons why we have recommended establishing working relations between the African Union and the CSTO. The Forum programme offered a whole range of sideline events, including a business event involving representatives of economic and trade agencies and organisations from Russia and African countries. You certainly know that the Russian delegation had a great number of bilateral meetings – over 20 of them – with the ministers of our African partners. We benefited from useful discussions of bilateral relations and their development. In some cases, agreements and memorandums covering different areas were signed.

@RusEmbMalta Press release: On November 9-10, Sochi hosted the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum at Sirius University. Instituted by a decision of the Second Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg in July 2023, this new dialogue format is called on to become a certain coordinating mechanism for implementing objectives set by the heads of state and government. Along with heads of foreign ministries and executive structures of integration associations, the event brought together sectoral ministers as well as representatives of parliamentary, public, academic and business circles of Russia and African countries, with over 1,500 people attended the event. 🌐 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chaired a plenary session, the conference’s high-priority event that involved 54 heads of official delegations from African states and regional integration associations. At the beginning of the plenary session, they read out greetings from the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Chair of the African Union – President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani. The Ministers coordinated their positions on key issues of the international agenda as well as the Russian-African agenda, prioritising the implementation of the Action Plan of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum for 2023-2026. Also, they specified and coordinated long-term guidelines for expanding mutual collaboration still further. 📄 Four joint statements formalised common approaches towards addressing global problems and expanding cooperation with a focus on quality preparations for the Third Russia-Africa Summit: 👉 political statement, 👉 on international information security, 👉 on counter-terrorism measures, 👉 on peaceful use of outer space. The conference’s packed business programme, including 20 panel sessions and specialised events, provided an additional impetus for diverse mutually beneficial cooperation. Experts and high-ranking guests discussed various high-priority issues in great detail, including food security and collaboration in the agro-industrial sector, training specialists for the real economy, geological prospecting, digitalisation, and cooperation in education, healthcare and youth policy. Representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission and various African associations discussed mutual integration issues. Elaborating on the provisions of the Declaration of the Second Russia-Africa Summit, the sides held specialised meetings on international information security, counter-terrorism efforts, and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. Representatives of Russian and African media outlets took part in an event on measures to combat the manifestations of neo-colonialism. 🤝 Sergey Lavrov met separately with a majority of African delegations on the sidelines of the conference. ✍️ The Officials signed an extensive package of memorandums and agreements between Russia and a number of African states. Joint Statement of the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. #RussiaAfrica

#RussiaAfrica 🇷🇺🌍President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech at the gala reception hosted in honour of the participants in the second Russia–Africa Summit. 💬Friends, we are happy that heads of state and government and leading politicians and government officials from practically all African countries have arrived in St Petersburg. Such a representative range of participants gathered in our northern capital, as we call St Petersburg, convincingly illustrates the mutual desire of Russia and African countries to expand and deepen mutually beneficial ties and contacts. This is also a real confirmation of our common intentions to take Russia-Africa relations to a new, more advanced level in politics, security, in the economic and social spheres. 🤝We are convinced that the St Petersburg summit will help us reach this main goal in full measure. We are looking to the future with optimism because Russia-Africa relations rest on the firm foundation of friendship and mutual assistance, an accumulated positive experience of our joint work and a truly rich and eventful history. At one time, the Soviet Union rendered African nations tangible support in the struggle against colonialism, racism and apartheid, in the development of statehood and in the consolidation and protection of independence. It helped them lay the foundations of their national economies. <...> Russia will continue to expand on these kinds of traditions. It is equally important to note that today Russia and the African countries stand together for the formation of a just, multipolar world order based on the principles of sovereign equality of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and respect for peoples' right to determine their own destiny ☝️And, of course, our country will continue to make a real contribution to settling current crises and preventing the emergence of new hotbeds of tension on the continent, fighting terrorism and extremism, pandemics and hunger, and addressing issues of environmental, food and information security

📰Article by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin «Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future» (July 24, 2023) Read in full (PDF) Key points: • The partnership relations between our country and Africa have strong, deep roots being distinguished by stability, trust and goodwill at all times. • We have consistently supported African peoples in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression. We have provided assistance in the formation of statehood, strengthening of sovereignty and defence capabilities. • We highly value the honestly gained capital of friendship and cooperation, traditions of trust and mutual support that Russia and African countries share. 🌍Russia welcomes the rising international authority of individual states as well as Africa as a whole. Their desire to make their voices strongly heard and to take the continent's problems into their own hands. We have always supported the constructive initiatives of our partners. We stand for granting African countries their rightful place in the structures that determine the fate of the world, including the UN Security Council and the G20, as well as reforming the global financial and trade institutions in a way that meets their interests. • Africa feels the burden of global challenges like no other part of the world. In such a challenging environment, we look forward to working with our African partners to shape a non-discriminatory agenda for cooperation. • We understand the importance of uninterrupted food supplies for the socio-economic development and political stability of the African States. <...> Notwithstanding the sanctions, Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilizers, and other goods to Africa. 🤝We attach great importance to the upcoming Second #RussiaAfrica Summit. <...> I am looking forward to welcoming the African leaders in St. Petersburg and stand committed to a fruitful constructive dialogue.

🤝 President Vladimir Putinreceived heads of delegations of African states in the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg 💬 Vladimir Putin: Comprehensive development of ties with African countries is a priority of Russian foreign policy. We have consistently stood for further consolidating the traditionally friendly relations with African countries and the primary regional association – the African Union – based on principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. Comprehensive preparations are underway for a milestone event – the second #RussiaAfrica summit to be held soon here, in St Petersburg. 🌍 Russia has the utmost respect for the principled position of African states in favour of maintaining global and regional stability and security, peaceful settlement of conflicts, and establishing a more just model of international relations We welcome the balanced approach of our African friends towards the Ukrainian crisis. ☝️ Friends, we appreciate your interest in seeking ways to resolve the conflict. We immediately accepted your proposal to hold talks regarding the situation around Ukraine. Read in full

🇷🇺🛬 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in New Delhi. #RussiaIndia