Laudable for Russia to cancel visa for several African countries Russian President Vladimir Putin

Isdore Guvamombe

Moscow is preparing agreements on a visa-free regime with nine countries in Africa and the Middle East, including Zimbabwe, according to Alexei Klimov, head of the Consular Department of Russian diplomacy.

The timeline for finalising the agreements depends on progress, as negotiations with partner countries are progressing at different stages.

Recently, Klimov assured that updates on advancements in this area would be shared once they are formalised in documented bilateral agreements.

Previously, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russia was in talks to simplify visa regimes with several African nations, including Zimbabwe.

Moscow already has visa-free regimes with Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tunisia, and Morocco.

Russia has been making inroads in Africa, particularly in Sahel countries where a new thinking is growing against the colonial past against the US and the West in general and France in particular.

Well, this is good news when we hear that Russia is working on cancelling visa requirements to several African countries, including Zimbabwe.

This means Russia has taken its relations with Africa to a higher level and African countries can leverage on this development to develop their countries in food security, manufacturing and technological advancement.

While the US and its allies are busy abusing their political and economic muscle through crafting more lethal sanctions and putting more visa restrictions, Russia is taking a different trajectory, opening its doors to African countries. Russia is in progressive thinking mode and is leaving no stone unturned in growing its footprints in Africa without forcing anyone.

Russia is not imposing sanctions and Russia has been a friend of many African countries since the days of the liberation struggle so it does not have colonial hangover.

Most of the problems that have stalled development in Africa and total independence have been former colonial masters in the West, supported by the US, that want to maintain hegemony on Africa’s vast untapped natural resources.

While Russia seeks to do business on a win-win basis and professionally so, the US and its Allies have used sanctions and regime change to put into power puppet governments that give them express authority to plunder natural resources.  The new visa regime that Russia seeks to fix, in an open check for African countries to tap into Russia’s experiences, technological advancement in all sectors including military and business ventures.

Russia is a big country and has something for every developing country.

The Russia Africa summit opened apertures for many African countries and to date, each Africa country know where it can benefit from Russia.

Besides, Russia gives the world a balance of power and checkmates manipulation by the West and its allies. Russia gives an alternative to the Western narrative and way of doing business.

By and large, every African country deserves a right to choose who to do business with but the US and its allies in the West have been punishing countries that look East. 

To progressive thinking Africans, the new visa regime by Moscow opens a floodgates of opportunities even in the education sector and medical field.

It makes business and political interaction easy and is a rude awakening to the West that the new world order, indeed beckons.

Russia’s economy is huge and stable, even several years into the Ukraine conflict.  In fact, Russia’s economy is growing, according to the World Bank.

For those African countries under sanctions from the US and its allies in the European Union, Russia is a colleague that has also been slapped with sanctions but has developed shock absorbers.

Africa and other countries in the developing world need to get notes from Russia on how to cushion their countries from the illegal sanctions.

All countries under the sanction regime need to huddle together, with Russia leading in busting the sanctions. They need come up with counter measures.

Russia produces too much grain with African countries require to fight hunger and starvation.   

Russia is so technologically advanced that it can help these countries cushion the effects of climate change, without arm-twisting them in the manner Western countries do.

Here is an opportunity for Africa to learn and get help on how ti increase its food security.

Here is a big opportunity for African students to study in some of the best universities in Russia.

And for African countries in the Sahel region, Russia provides that opportunity to break away from France’s cruel post-colonial hegemony that seeks to turn African leaders in the region as clerks; that still seeks to take African countries in the region as provinces of France. For decades, now France has ill-treated those countries using post-colonial power structures and Russia could help those countries free themselves.

In the past few years, African countries have discovered many minerals but they have been found wanting when it comes to real extraction, real market value, value addition, beneficiation and the entire management matrix.

The West has sought to dictate the pace as seen in the diamond mining industry but Russia has provided the balance.

Suffice it to say, the new visa regime Moscow is putting in place has the capacity and advantage of giving African countries more access to the opportunities that Russia provides to them in a free and fair manner.

Most African economies evolve around agriculture, mining, manufacturing and of late ICT.

Russia is master in these areas and African countries can tap into it.

In terms of trade and investment, Russia has a huge population with a huge appetite for both consumption and investment. It is a huge market. The opportunities are endless.

In terms of military co-operation, no one doubts that Russia manufactures some of the best military hardware and software in the entire world.  No one doubts that Russia does not dump obsolete military equipment in Africa.

In terms of culture Russia has stood steadfast against same sex marriages and many African countries agree with Russia on that one. The US and its allies in the West have over the years, tired to force homosexuality on African governments and even sought to punish, through sanctions, those countries that have refused to accept it.

Russia has stood steadfast against homosexuality.  Therefore, it is critical for African countries to tap into the new visa regime and gain access to Russia’s vast experience, military might, investment opportunities, manufacturing, value addition, mineral extraction and technological advancement. That is where the future is.   

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