16/09/2026
🎙From the briefing by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Yekaterinburg, September 15, 2026
❓Question: I would like to start by thanking you for organising such a wonderful festival. As someone involved in content creation, I can say that this is amazing. I have noticed that Africa is represented here at a very high level. We have already received an invitation to the Third Russia-Africa Summit. How important is the Russia-Africa Summit, and what will Russia focus on?
💬 Maria Zakharova: It is really nice to hear that you enjoyed it. It is obvious that everyone did.
As you rightly said, this is not the first festival. It has already become a global event that everyone looks forward to. But I think that this year everything has really come together brilliantly. There is a rich programme, showcasing the opportunities offered by Russian regions, major corporations and educational institutions, as well as a strong cultural and discussion programme.
Secondly, you mentioned the African “panel” and the discussions dedicated to Africa here.
They are indeed taking place on such a scale because we are preparing for the summit that will soon be held in Moscow.
Preparations are under way, involving, of course, our Ministry and our embassies. We expect heads of state and high-level delegations to attend.
As for the priorities, to answer your question: one of the most important will be practical cooperation with African states.
Why? Because each of these summits results in agreements concluded by the presidents of our countries, creating tremendous opportunities for business and industry across various sectors, including the humanitarian sphere.
The summit will therefore take stock of what has been achieved and outline future prospects. We will also discuss what has not yet become operational, what the problem areas are and what lies behind them. So, undoubtedly, practical cooperation will be a key priority.
☝️ At the same time, I cannot fail to mention that one of the most important topics will also be the formation of a multipolar world order.
Look at how many questions today were connected with this issue, either directly or indirectly. Why? Because practical cooperation between countries is shaped by the emerging multipolar world order and the struggle to establish it.
There would not be so many problems if the countries of the collective “Western minority” did not try to resist the obvious fact that states communicate with one another and build economic relations; that in some areas - the economy, industry, production or the humanitarian sphere - other countries may be doing better than Western states.
Countries are also creating their own communities, such as or the , not against anyone, but simply for their own convenience. And these communities are becoming increasingly popular.
They are not becoming popular because propaganda tells people to “love the SCO” or “love BRICS”. They are becoming popular because people see concrete results. And, most importantly, they see respect for themselves.
When representatives of different countries come to events organised by these associations, they are not treated like schoolchildren who have done something wrong - lined up, or being told whether they may or may not touch someone's shoe.
❗️They are treated as equals, with no one separated from another based on nationality or on whether their country is large or small.
Read in full: https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/2141010/?lang=en
