On the margins of the ongoing third Russia-Africa Summit, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Russian Federation signed an Action Plan on Cooperation to advance the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Basic Principles of Relations and Cooperation in Moscow, Russia on 28 October 2026.
The Action Plan was signed by H.E. Mr Elias Magosi, SADC Executive Secretary, and H.E. Mr Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, at the Grand Kremlin Palace during consultations between President Vladimir Putin and Heads of African Regional Economic Communities.
The Action Plan provides a framework for cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including agriculture and food security, trade and investment, industrialisation, energy, mining, transport, information and communication technologies, education, health, peace and security, culture, and youth development.
Through institutional partnerships, capacity-building programmes, knowledge exchange, and technical cooperation, the Action Plan aims to support regional integration, economic growth, industrial development, and sustainable development in the SADC region.
The signing marks an important milestone in strengthening relations between SADC and the Russian Federation and reflects the shared commitment of both parties to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in areas of common interest.
