SPN Communications organized a roundtable "Towards the Second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum" in Ethiopia

2023-08-11 00:22

On July 12 in Addis Ababa, the SPN Communications team organized a press event dedicated to the Second Russia-Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

We think of Africa as a single continent where everything is interconnected, but in reality it is not. African states have always been isolated from each other - culture, linguistic diversity, even mentality - everything requires an individual approach. Therefore, in order to involve several countries in the agenda of the Russia-Africa Summit and Forum, the agency had to spend a lot of effort on information and digital campaign.

In just 1.5 months of remote work and personal stay on the continent, the SPN Communications team of 6 people personally accompanied the participants and journalists who took part in the round table "On the Way to the Second Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum Russia-Africa". We provided the full logistics of the event: organized the work with speakers, including the preparation of presentations and speeches; selected the media pool; provided technical support, broadcasting, catering; and the participants were provided with transfers and accommodation.

In the course of organizing, we encountered another problem that was completely unfamiliar to us. It is a common practice for African countries to cut off electricity on a daily basis. And while in South Africa there is a schedule of blackouts, in Ethiopia you can be left without light at any moment. To prevent possible excesses, we installed generators, chose a reliable venue and recruited a team of technicians.

In the end, the results of the roundtable speak for themselves. Thanks to the hybrid format of the project, which included a live broadcast and a face-to-face presence, the press event: covered by more than 50 African media publications, attracted 190 participants and gained a national profile.

Participants included representatives of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, AFROCOM, specialized ministries, industry associations and business associations.

Speakers included Igor Morozov, Chairman of the Coordination Committee for Economic Cooperation with African Countries; Ilya Nesterov, Head of the Department of External Relations of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; NJ Ayuk, Chairman of the African Energy Chamber; Ekaterina Kiseleva, Deputy General Director for Development of Kundalinik; Alexander Makarov, General Director of TraceCORE LLC; Elena Myakotnikova, Director of the Climate Initiatives and Carbon Management function of SIBUR.

The discussion focused on the prospects for the development of Russian-African economic and social-partnership relations. Special attention was paid to: the development of partnership in the agricultural sector; energy resources; digitalization of the economy and education on the Continent. According to Igor Morozov:

"We certainly have a lot to share with our African partners, especially since they are already ready for new experience: the African Continental Free Trade Zone has started operating, science and technology parks and IT clusters are being created in many countries on the continent, including Ethiopia".

The aim of the event was to draw the attention of African business and government representatives to the key issues of Russian-African cooperation and to identify trajectories for the development of Russia's relations with African countries, so that the Summit and Forum would become a platform for achieving concrete and achievable goals between more than 70 countries.