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

countries and minimize the adverse consequences of the present financial
crisis.
It is, first of all, about the fulfillment of the pledges already
made by the donor community to provide aid and additional financial
resources to the countries worst hit by the crisis; about assistance
in the elaboration and realization of a macroeconomic and fiscal
policy with a view of making more effective use of both internal
and attracted resources; about the removal of barriers in the path of
movement of goods and services from African countries; and about
consideration of the interests of African countries in the process of
the elaboration of decisions to reform the international financial system
by increasing their representation and stepping up their participation
in activities of international institutions.
In accordance with the president the Concept of participation by
Russia in international development assistance (IDA) was approved;
measures are currently being taken to create a national IDA system.
It can be noted with confidence that we have achieved significant
progress in this endeavor. The level of provided aid was increased
from 50 million dollars in 2003 to 210 million dollars in 2007 – not
counting written-off debts, in the amount of which Russia holds one
of the leading places among the G8 countries. Russia has by now
canceled debts of African countries amounting to 20 billion dollars.
Negotiations are being conducted with Benin, Guinea, Zambia,
Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Ethiopia to write-off their
debts in the amount of more than half a billion dollars. 10
Russia has stepped up its participation in realizing international
initiatives and crafting new approaches and mechanisms for development
assistance. We have committed ourselves to provide more
than 1 billion dollars in aid to the poorest, including African, countries,
during the period to 2010–2011 to fight infectious diseases,
“energy poverty” and to bolster education, of which amount more
than half has already been allocated. We are actively involved in
international efforts to provide humanitarian aid to African states,
particularly under the auspices of the United Nations World Food
Program, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees and other entities. Our donor contributions are being used
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