The main goal of the Association of Economic Cooperation with African States is to double trade turnover between Russia and African countries by 2023, said its head Alexander Saltanov at the presentation held by the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Secretariat in Moscow today. The same objective of doubling the total turnover (at that time it meant reaching $40B) in 4-5 years was set by Russian President Vladimir Putin a year ago during the first Russia-Africa Summit.
The Association is set to provide tangible input to parties’ economic relations by supporting Russian business in Africa, by establishing an informational flow through the use of “internet platforms” and more. According to Mr. Saltanov, the Association will also facilitate trade by supporting national and cross-border infrastructure projects, container transport and more.
Another important point that is to be considered by the Association and which could potentially attract more Russian businesses to Africa is the launching of regular scheduled flights in both directions. This topic has been under consideration since 2006, but there are still few direct flights connecting Russia and African capitals.