Russia and African countries, including Namibia, have reaffirmed the need to jointly oppose neo-colonialism, the imposing of conditions, and double standards.

This forms part of the second declaration adopted at the just-ended second Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St. Petersburg.

The Russian Federation and African countries say neo-colonialism, the imposing of conditions, and double standards deprive states and peoples of the right to make sovereign choices about their development paths.

They want a stable world order based on the principles of sovereign equality of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, respect for sovereignty, and territorial integrity as enshrined in the UN Charter.

They said the use of peaceful diplomatic means such as dialogue, negotiations, consultations, and mediation to resolve international disputes and conflicts should be a priority and be settled on the basis of mutual respect and compromise.

The Russia-Africa Summit discussions also stressed the need for inclusive multilateral financial measures that provide relief from the debt burden for low- and middle-income countries.

Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, has since announced that his government has written off the US$23 billion debt burden of African countries.

The Russian and African leaders further pledged to facilitate the restructuring of the global financial architecture to reflect the interests and increasing influence of developing countries, as well as to overcome the adverse impact of conditions imposed on them in relation to the full and effective enjoyment of human rights.