Opinion: Africa occupies important place in system of international relations
Fifty-five African countries comprise a solid market with decent resources, and it now attracts the attention of all major players on the world stage – as noted by Andrei Rusakovich, a Professor of the Department of Eurasian Studies at the Belarusian State University’s International Relations Department, a member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly
In his talk with the STV TV channel, Mr. Rusakovich stressed that Africa has recently become important in the international system of relations. “It's not just about the economy. Politics largely determines the economy at present, and their interconnection is very strong. We used to say that politics is a concentrated expression of economics, but accents have shifted recently. The African continent, with its 55 countries, is now a decent resource and a very solid market that attracts the attention of all major players. Of course, the European Union has been present there for a long time, but the colonial past plays both a negative and a positive role. In any case, the EU operates their multilaterally and bilaterally, and the presence of the United States – especially in recent decades – is also obvious there. China and Russia are also making a new turn towards Africa. Moreover, the Russian Federation enjoys all the advantages that the Soviet Union had there, and they refer, for example, to technologies and political relations,” he explained.
The expert emphasised, “The countries of Africa represent ‘not the West’, which envisages common approaches in building of a new system that we call polycentric and multipolar. In addition, it should be borne in mind that Africa accounts for about a quarter of all votes in the UN.”
