Mozambique: President Nyusi attending Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg – Lusa

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Mozambique: President Nyusi attending Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg – Lusa

1:08 CAT | 27 Jul 2023

Photo: Twitter / @IvanUlisesKK

The Mozambican head of state, Filipe Nyusi, is on a “working visit” to the Russian Federation from Thursday until Saturday, at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the Presidency of the Republic of Mozambique confirmed in a statement.

During the visit, the Mozambican president will participate in the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit, which will take place in St. Petersburg, under the motto “In favour of Peace, Security and Development”.

“President Nyusi’s participation in this summit is aimed at strengthening relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation between Russia and the African continent in various areas of mutual interest, as well as at the bilateral level,” according to the Presidency statement.

Kremlin sources indicated that a meeting between the Russian and Mozambican heads of state is planned on the sidelines of this summit.

Putin meeting with the Mozambique delegation. The attempt of rebuilding relations with Maputo are on display. pic.twitter.com/dRt6IVQ5q4

— Ivan U. Kłyszcz (@IvanUlisesKK) July 27, 2023

⚡️Vladimir Putin Greets President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi – Both Leaders Noted Strong Relations Built on Friendship & Cooperation#RussiaAfricaSummit pic.twitter.com/S3kqhuigpX

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 27, 2023

Lusa reported on Wednesday that the Mozambican president was one of the heads of state attending the Russia-Africa summit. Earlier, Mozambican analysts considered that the meeting between the presidents of Mozambique and Russia will serve to reaffirm the country’s neutrality in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, in addition to strengthening bilateral cooperation.

“I think it is a meeting that aims to strengthen the impartiality of the participating countries in relation to the conflict with Ukraine,” Mohamed Yassin, a Mozambican analyst, told Lusa.

The Presidents of Mozambique, Comoros, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Eritrea and Uganda will meet today with Russian head of state Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit, which runs until Friday in St Petersburg, the Russian press announced.

Calton Cadeado, a Mozambican academic, considered that Nyusi’s trip to meet Putin has to do with the historical relations between the two countries, noting that Mozambique “confirmed its presence at the highest level a long time ago”.

“Mozambique is going to reaffirm the historical ties of cooperation with Russia, but not to say that it supports the invasion of Ukraine, not least because it has already stated its position in the United Nations Security Council,” the analyst said.

Maputo abstained in all UN votes on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, advocating a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

For Calton Cadeado, Russia and the West may interpret Mozambique’s neutrality as “implicit support” for Putin, but, he said, the country is “responsible for what it does and says” and not for what “others interpret”.

The Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since independence) was an ally of Moscow during the time of the former USSR, receiving military support during the fight against Portuguese colonialism and afterwards during the civil war and economic aid after independence in 1975.

Mr Cadeado also said that holding the summit with Africa is a way for Russia to show the world that it is not isolated.

The Russian president will welcome representatives of 49 of Africa’s 54 countries, including 17 heads of state, to the summit after criticising what he called “unprecedented pressure” from the United States and France for African countries not to participate.

The second summit is expected to see Russia and African countries sign an “action plan until 2026” and a series of bilateral documents, as the Kremlin announced, trying to move the relationship beyond defence and arms deals, which have mostly summed up Moscow’s relationship with Africa to date.

However, for Moscow, the most important thing, according to international analysts heard by Lusa, is to show an understanding with African states, despite the conflict in Ukraine, which some have condemned at the UN, and the end of the grain agreement.