The panel
session Mining Industry: A Sustainable Approach to Field Development was held
in Moscow during the open RussiaAfrica Economic Conference, part of the
Afreximbank Annual Meetings with the support of the Roscongress Foundation and
Russian Export Center. One of the key focal points of the session was Russian
and African cooperation in the development of the mining industry.
The discussion
was moderated by IHS Markit Russias Director for Consulting Maksim Nechaev and
participants included: President and General Director of WassoulOr and
Chairman of Petroma Inc Canada Aliou Diallo; ALROSA Vice President Vladimir
Marchenko; General Director of Vi Holding, Doctor of Mathematics, and Professor
of the Russian Academy of Sciences Karima Nigmatulina; Chief Executive Officer
of Uralkali and Chairman of the Russian-Nigerian Business Council Dmitry
Osipov; and Co-founder and Managing Director of RichAfrica Consultancy
Ndapwilapo Selma Shimutwikeni.
In 2017, the
Russian Export Center, part of VEB.RF, became Afreximbanks third largest
non-African financial institution or organization shareholder, which has
allowed for the rapid acceleration of investment, trade, and economic relations
between Russia and African countries. One of the areas positively affected were
mining projects in Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone. Interest has also been expressed
in attracting Russian partners to the implementation of projects in the oil
industry.
«Notable
Russian-African foreign economic projects include the signing of a memorandum
of cooperation between the REC and OJSC Afromet (Vi Holding) regarding the
comprehensive development of the Darwendale platinum field project in the
Republic of Zimbabwe, which was signed during a visit by the president of
Zimbabwe to the Russian Federation in January of this year,» said Andrey
Slepnev, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Export Center (REC).
This is the
second time in Afreximbanks history that its Annual General Meeting of
Shareholders has been held outside of the African continent. The Meetings are
the largest economic event in Africa. Over 1,500 participants registered to
participate in the RussiaAfrica Economic Conference in Moscow, which speaks of
the high-level of mutual interest in developing relations.
The
RussiaAfrica Summit will be held in October 2019 in Sochi and will be
co-chaired by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President
of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who also heads the African
Union. This is the first event of this level in the history of Russian-African
relations, with the heads of all states of the African continent invited, as
well as leaders of major subregional associations and organizations.