Yury Korobov: The world economic turbulence may become a strong push to develop and consolidate the relationship between Russia and African countries.
On the 29th of July 2023 in Saint Petersburg there was a summit meeting between the President of the Russian Society of Friendship with Tanzania, the business ambassador from Delovaya Rossia in Tanzania Yury Korobov the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania Kassim Majaliwa. The Tanzanian part was also represented by the Tanzanian Ambassador in Russia Frederick Ibrahim Kibbutz and the Ambassador, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tanzania Mbaruk Nassor Mbaruk. The correspondent of «Nasha Versiya» requested Yury Korobov to comment the significance of the event, the overall results and the atmosphere of the past Summit Russia-Africa.
Correspondent of Nasha Versiya (The Source): Yury Anatolievitch, if possible, a few words about the past summit in the beginning.
The course of friendship and partnership
Yury Korobov (YK): The Summit Russia-Africa is a top-level negotiation with representatives of almost fifty African countries. It took place in Saint Petersburg on the 27th and 28th of July. 18 countries were represented by their Presidents, 6 countries – by their Prime Ministers and 23 countries – by Deputies Heads of State or Ministers. The Russian part was headed by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. These were two eventful days with meetings and negotiations. As a participant in the event, I can say the summit, in addition to the recorded results, has created many promising strategic lines that are going to develop in the coming years.
The Source: What is your view on the prospects for partnership, are they available?
YK: I can say more. I have no doubt about the expansion of the partnership between Russia and the countries of the African continent in the near future. What do we have right now? The trade relations between the Russian Federation and Africa, I can say, are in the rudimentary stage. The continent accounts for only 3% of Russian exports and 1% of imports, whereas Africa takes 20 percent of the entire land surface on the planet, has over 3000 ethnic groups, and over 2000 languages.
The Source: Yes, it’s interesting.
YK: You know, if to describe the current processes in two words I would probably use the words uniqueness and synergy. The traditions and cultures of the countries located on different continents are unique, and the technologies created in certain climatic conditions are unique. By joining efforts, and revealing our “uniqueness” to each other we have got results far exceeding the arithmetic sum. Traditional, established things have opened up new facets causing a synergistic effect that residents of both Russia and the countries of the African continent will perceive in the near future.
The Source: To whose benefit is the partnership going on?
YK: The answer is obvious – to mutual benefit! New sales markets, technologies, long-term cooperation strategies in various spheres… Russia has something to give Africa, we are really interested in our African friends. Africa, for its part, has a high potential for our country. We are talking about building a mutually profitable fair partnership between Russia and the States of Africa.
The Source: If it’s possible, in more detail.
Long-expected technologies
YK: I will give particular examples. Since the establishment of the Russian Society of Friendship with Tanzania in 2021 we have managed to outline and to start implementing some joint economic and cultural projects. It should be emphasized that we were supported at the highest governmental level in Tanzania. It began with the creation of Russian houses in this country. At the recent summit, our President mentioned the importance of developing cultural ties through such centres. In cultural terms, a great achievement, as I consider it, is the launch of the program on the popularization of the Swahili language in Russia and the Russian language in Tanzania. Mutual knowledge of the languages and the culture of the partner countries is the basis for the implementation of long-term strategic mutually beneficial programs in various fields and the key to the development of our friendship and partnership
Such a partnership already exists and is expanding. At the summit, there was a large group of businessmen as a part of the Tanzanian delegation whose interests included the joint construction and processing of precious metals, the development of the food industry and the food production: fruits, cocoa beans, coffee, tea; as well as the implementation of joint projects on energy, metallurgy, oil and mining industry (metal mining including aluminium; oil, gas and uranium deposits exploitation). More than 50 round tables were organized at the forum, where the businessmen agreed on certain interactions.
At one of the meetings, in the presence of Thomas Molelli – an employee of the United Republic of Tanzania Embassy in Russia – an important trilateral Cooperation Agreement was signed between the Tver Regional department of Delovaya Rossiya, the Union of Farmers and Private Farms of the Tver Region and the Tanzanian Сompany SSEBO Enterprises Limited, whose main field of activity is viticulture, wine manufacture, ginger and avocado cultivation, raisin production.
The Source: Yury Anatolievitch, you mentioned technologies earlier, are there any examples?
YK: Thanks to the work of the Tanzanian Ambassador in Russia Fredrik Ibrahim Kubita, the Friendship Society with Tanzania organized a meeting of representatives of the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy with some Russian entrepreneurs who are working in the alternative energy sector. Let’s agree that if you need to use solar panels somewhere, it will be on the African continent. In Tanzania today, about 92% of the energy system is connected with the use of wood as fuel. Also, the creation of network solar power plants and smaller projects were discussed, for example, the creation of hot water systems based on solar collectors or the development of heat accumulators that could be used for drying fruits and berries.
The Source: The implementation of such technologies will really become a breakthrough in the future for the Tanzanian economy. Is there anything that Russian consumers will experience?
YK: Absolutely. I was just about to say that. We are talking about technologies and equipment for sublimation of products. This is extremely advantageous both in terms of preserving the useful qualities of products (up to 97%) and in terms of logistics since with this method of drying the weight gets reduced to 93 percent, also the shelf life of such product is close to unlimited; the process is carried out with minimal use of energy resources, in comparison with freezing, for example.
During our meeting, the Prime Minister of Tanzania Kassim Majaliwa focused on this particular technology separately, promising support for its implementation and development in his country. After all, according to him, sublimation would solve an important problem related to the long-term storage of fresh foodstuff available abundantly in Tanzania. This would be convenient for both large Tanzanian producers and private companies. Tanzania is quite capable of taking a serious market share in the international sublimate market.
The Source: The prospects are encouraging. After all, as far as I understand, we are talking about the supply to the Russian market, where there is always a demand for vitamins and healthy food, cheap fruits and berries grown under the rays of the African sun.
International trade centres
YK: As for cheapness, perhaps, it is not quite true. A kilogram of such a product, I think, will not be cheap. But you need to understand, firstly, that the product will be very light, as a result, voluminous, and secondly, it will regain almost 100 percent while being placed in ordinary water. Then a low price is possible. To make Tanzanian fruits and berries as well as other products traditional for the African climate more accessible to Russians, the Russian Society of Friendship with Tanzania is planning to create international trading Russian houses in Tanzania and Tanzanian ones in Russia very soon. These are specialized trade centers where on the basis of intergovernmental agreements comprehensive support is provided to exporters, also Issues of customs control, logistics, cargo storage, investment attraction and general management of the process are resolved. This will become a locomotive for the development of already established ties.
The Source: Earlier you mentioned the Russian houses, do they remain or get transformed into trade centres with their advent?
YK: These are different tools to expand the potentialities of our friendship. Trade centres and Russian houses will exist in parallel. Moreover, I suppose it is also necessary to open more consulates and representative offices of African countries in Russia in large cities, for dealing with the centres of cultural and business integration.
The Source: Personally, for you, is the meeting with Kassim Majaliwa the Prime Minister of Tanzania a more important event than participation in the summit?
YK: For me, each of these events has its own significance. It should be noted that I met the Prime Minister during the summit as well. Therefore, the meeting in the end can be considered a continuation of the planned dialogue.
Personal meetings with the leader of the country with which I head the friendship society are highly important and honourable for me. The meeting confirmed the general mood for further building up a strong partnership in various fields. After careful study of the project, the Prime Minister expressed readiness to start implementing it on the Tanzanian territory, which will become an incentive to create new jobs, to improve the welfare of people from areas with fairly low income today. He also emphasized that Russia and Tanzania, as well as many other African countries, have a great joint economic future. The summit is also an opportunity to make sure again that I and the like-minded people are going forward in the right direction. It means, together with my country, that consider Africa to be a macro-region with huge development potential in various sectors of the economy. I am glad that such summits are scheduled to be held every three years.
The Source: How far do you think the policy of isolating Russia pursued by the United States and a number of European and other countries has influenced the happening events?
YK: I am absolutely sure that the Russia-Africa summit is not a consequence of any sanctions or pressure from our external enemies. This is quite a normal process of establishing and developing a relationship that has even had roots since the USSR time. Some issues of our partnership such as food security or the use of peaceful nuclear energy may be a bit more acute. The issues in the field of education and business development, strengthening cultural ties have been evolving along the strategic trajectory outlined much earlier. Today, the situation has historically arisen when a move to a qualitatively new level of cooperation has become possible. I believe this is not the result of sanctions or pressure but a normal process of interstate relations evolution.
The Source: Thank you Yury Anatolievitch for the meaningful and interesting conversation. In conclusion, I would ask you to address briefly to our readers and explain what prospects for the development of cooperation between Russia and Africa to expect.
YK: The enthusiasm of the past meetings, the mood to build up a partnership and above all, the certain steps outlined during the negotiations show that cooperation is developing based on mutual interest and common plans. I would point out that the Tanzanian delegation was one of the most representative at the recent summit. This means a lot. I will focus again on the international trade centres that we are planning to create in the near future. They will be not only the points of support for businessmen already involved in various projects (on both sides) but also springboards for those who intend to invest in the Russian-Tanzanian partnership.
I believe that I represent all Russian people in Tanzania by means of the Friendship Society, therefore I must forward to all the Russians the words of gratitude said to me by the Prime Minister at the meeting. To conclude, I would add, love Tanzania, the country of Kilimanjaro, far and hot, with a population of over 70 million people; that is ready to lend us a hand of friendship. Let exotic fruits from Tanzania delight every table. Become a guest there on occasion.
