L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

2.3. Competitors or Partners? Russia’s Role
in Developing the Mineral Resource Base of Africa
For more than 50 years assistance in investigating and developing
the mineral and raw-material resources of African, Asian and
Latin American countries was an important sphere of the USSR's
technical and economic cooperation with these states. Such cooperation
began in early 1930s, when the then young Soviet state assisted
its Southern neighbors to explore and develop their natural resource
bases. The cooperation at that time was limited to the immediate
bordering states – Turkey, Afghanistan, and Mongolia. African
countries were able to establish such ties with the Soviet Russia only
after achieving independence. The earliest bilateral agreements refer
to 1950s; among the first to receive such assistance were Egypt,
Ghana, Guinea (Conakry) and Mali.
In accordance with inter-governmental agreements signed with
those states, USSR dispatched specialists to provide assistance in
geological prospecting as well as to work at respective state agencies
and companies. Soviet organizations also supplied special
equipment and helped to set up national geological services, educational
institutions and mining enterprises which constituted the basis
of the state sector in the mining industries of young African states.
The Soviet Union has made the emphasis on the assistance in the
geological survey, thereby creating the foundation for their subsequent
industrial development. 40
The Soviet assistance in the survey and development of mineral
resources has been especially intensive in the Northern Africa.
Relevant agreements have been signed with all countries in the region.
A systematic survey of mineral deposits on the territory of Algeria
began soon after the two countries had started to cooperate. Under
an inter-governmental agreement signed on December 27, 1963,
Soviet geologists were dispatched to Algeria to implement a broad
program of prospecting for ferrous, non-ferrous, rare and precious
metals, rock products and other minerals. They rendered assistance
in preparing and expanding the mineral raw-material base for such
99