Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that about six thousand African students out of thirty-five thousand are on scholarship in the country.
During a statement titled “Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress, and a Successful Future,” President Vladimir Putin expressed Russia’s commitment to deeper relations with African countries across various sectors. As part of this commitment, he pledged to provide free supplies of grains to tackle food insecurity on the continent.
President Putin made these remarks in preparation for the second Russia-Africa Summit and Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg on July 27 and July 28. The primary aim of these summits is to strengthen the relationship between Russia and Africa and to outline priority areas for cooperation in the coming decades.
Putin emphasised that Russia adheres to the principle of supporting “African solutions to African problems.” He expressed solidarity with Africans in their pursuit of self-determination, justice, and the protection of their legitimate rights. Additionally, he highlighted Russia’s commitment to assisting African states in developing their national human resource capacity.
During his address, President Putin revealed that there are currently more than 35,000 African students studying in Russia, with over 6,000 of them benefiting from Russian government scholarships. He further stated that Russia intends to increase the number of scholarships each year and foster stronger ties between universities, which have been gaining momentum in recent times.
