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

At certain stages of their history, both Russia (recently) and
China (in the more distant past) enjoyed the status of a selfsufficient,
independent and prosperous global power with a unique
civilizational importance. Both went through periods of painful national
humiliation on the part of the West (shorter for Russia and
longer for China). Both are now looking for their own ways to restore
the former might and importance adjusting themselves to modernity
and the globalized economy. One of the manifestations of
varying degrees of their success on this path is their increased inclusion
into the economic fabrics of the world and rekindled interest on
their part to economic relations not only with the more developed
nations but with the regions of the global economic periphery, the
poorer countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
This book provides a thematic study of economic relations between
Russia and Africa from the perspective of mobilizing their
respective resource potentials in the interests of modernization and
development. This goal forms the essence of the strategic national
interests of Russia and answers the demands of the current stage of
African national economic systems evolution.
Of course, Russia abounds in natural resource of its own. By no
means is it a nation deprived of God given riches. On the contrary,
the country is one of the most important exporters of key commodities
to the world markets. It is self-sufficient in the absolute majority
of mineral products essential for modernization and innovative development.
Why would Moscow look abroad for fuel and minerals, when
nearly everything can be found in abundance within the national
borders? Wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on the development of
its human capital, which is believed to have become the main driving
force of the global progress in the 21st century? Why would the
authors find it necessary and justifiable to draw any comparisons
between Africa and Russia in the sphere of exploitation of natural
resources? Are such comparisons meaningful or even legitimate,
taking into consideration enormous differences in the level of development
of productive capacities, science and technology between
Russia and Africa, or in their financial and investment capabilities?
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