Russia ready to work with Africa as an ‘equal partner’ – deputy energy minister

Africa is the fastest growing continent on the planet and it deserves fair treatment, which could be achieved only on the basis of equal partnership, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin told RT on Friday on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg.

Sorokin explained that, at the moment, Africa is not the biggest consumer of energy, even as a continent, but as its economies grow and people get access to energy, it will eventually become one.

“Well, it definitely will be one of the places that adds demand and that means it will be affecting all global flows and overall energy trade,” the Russian official stated.

Talking about Africa’s vast mineral deposits, Sorokin pointed out that it’s not just about being an exporter of minerals, but rather about how much added value can stay in a country.

“It’s a challenge for Russia, which we are tackling. It’s a challenge for Africa, and it’s much easier and better to tackle those things together because we are ready to work with Africa as a partner, as an equal partner,” he insisted.

The official went on explaining that equal partnership does not mean taking resources from a country, paying them $100 and taking $80 back. Then nothing stays on the continent, Sorokin noted, adding that if countries worked together on the same goal, the situation could change in a positive direction. Such cooperation means not just supplying equipment, but also training people on how to service that equipment by setting up special educational centers for that.

“That’s where the future lies, that’s a foundation for strong partnership. So, we should work together with African countries. We have been proposing this, we see a huge interest for this,” Sorokin concluded.

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