Data from the Russian Ministry of Economic Development revealed Russia’s largest partners among African countries, with Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco at the forefront.
According to data reported by the “Vedomosti” website from the Russian “RBK” website, the volume of trade with African countries increased by 43.5% over a period of eight months, as the volume of trade exchange between Russia and the countries of the continent reached $15.5 billion, in the period from January to August. 2023.
According to the ministry, the top five African countries in terms of the volume of trade exchange with Russia in the first eight months of 2023 are as follows:
Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya.
In 2022, the volume of trade exchange between Russia and African countries reached $18 billion, as Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stressed in an opinion article entitled “Russia – Africa” that: Forces must be united for peace, progress, and a successful future.
In the summer, the President also said that the growth in trade volume between Russia and African countries in the first half of 2023 reached 35%, and also noted that Moscow remains a reliable supplier of foodstuffs to Africa.
On July 26, Putin met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and stated that joint projects between the two countries, including in the field of energy, are developing according to the specified plan.
According to the Russian leader, the volume of trade between the two countries (Egypt and Russia) increased in 2022 by 28.8%, and in the five months of this year – by another 7%, indicating that a third of the volume of Russian trade with Africa is with Egypt.