Moscow rolled out the welcome mat for three African presidents this week. When Putin hosts African leaders, the world pays attention, and this round of talks was no exception. Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down on Tuesday with Mozambique’s Daniel Chapo, Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and a counterpart from Libya. All were in town for the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit.
Gas brings them to the table
The forum is no small gathering. Its 20 member countries control more than 70 percent of the world’s proven gas reserves and over a third of global production. For African governments sitting on gas wealth, or chasing it, being in that room matters. Deals on pipelines, liquefied natural gas and pricing decide who gets paid and how much.
What each leader heard
Putin thanked Chapo for Mozambique’s support of Russian initiatives and praised cooperation at the United Nations. He told Obiang that Moscow valued the two countries’ mutual cooperation.
Libya got the longest pitch. Putin said Russia wants to build joint initiatives with Libya and that trade keeps growing despite a difficult global climate. He pointed to an April meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission in Moscow and said Russia wants its full activity restored as soon as possible. The two countries marked 70 years of diplomatic ties last year. Some Western observers, however, worry about Russia’s growing influence in a country sitting on the Mediterranean, a short sea crossing from southern Europe.
The bigger picture for Africa
The pattern is hard to miss. Africa is courted from every direction: Washington, Brussels, Beijing, Ankara, the Gulf and Moscow, each with its own offer. Russia has kept its African diplomacy busy this year, including talks with the Republic of Congo’s president in April.
For ordinary people in Maputo, Tripoli or Malabo, the test is simple. Will any of these friendships bring cheaper electricity, new jobs or better roads? Or will the benefits stay inside the summit hall?
The talks produced warm words but no signed deals that have been reported. Until contracts, timelines and figures appear, Tuesday’s meetings are a signal of intent, not a done deal. African leaders have learned to keep their options open, and this week showed they have plenty.
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