The war in Ukraine, security issues and Russia’s exit last week from the Black Sea grain deal loomed large over the agenda.
The event was also smaller in size and scope than the inaugural summit in Sochi in the pre-war year of 2019, with just 17 heads of state in attendance compared to the 43 who attended four years ago.
Here is a closer look at the two-day event:
Speaking at the summit Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would offer free supplies of 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Eritrea, countries that have been impacted by the end of the Ukrainian grain deal.
Many African states continue to rely on security assistance provided by the Wagner mercenary outfit, and the group’s short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership last month made local leaders uneasy about its future in the region.
Some 36 million Orthodox Christians live in Ethiopia, making the country home to the world’s second-largest Orthodox population after Russia.
