On Wednesday, the Valdai Discussion Club, a prominent Moscow-based think tank, is holding its second Russian-African conference under the theme “Russia-Africa: Strategy of Cooperation in a Multipolar World.” It is being held for the first time on the territory of Africa – in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“The most important aspect is that this is not even an order, but a new context, the environment in which we live today,” Fyodor Lukyanov, research director of the Valdai Discussion Club and editor-in-chief of the journal Russia in Global Affairs, said at the opening of the discussion.

The Russian expert added, “We are used to the fact that the world order should set certain rules, but we see that the new players are not and will not be interested in having these rules set by anyone but themselves.”

“Russian-African relations have a long history. And in this new era, thanks to this flexible and changing environment, we have an opportunity to create something completely new and creative, pursuing the main goal of each of the countries, which is to maintain a stable capacity for their development,” he said.

Up to 40 Russian and African experts are taking part in the discussion. The goal of the conference is to “synchronize” positions on building a just multipolar world and fair trade relations.

The organizers hope that the results of the conference will form the basis for the preparation of the third Russia-Africa Summit, which will be held in Africa.