1960 went down in modern history as the Year of Africa. That year, 17 new African states appeared on the world map at once: Cameroon, Togo, Malagasy Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Dahomey, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Congo (Kinshasa), Somali Democratic Republic The Republic.

The dismantling of colonial regimes on the continent was already inevitable - by the early 1990s, another 25 states of Black Africa had gained independence.

"Africa Day", celebrated in the world on May 25, is" younger " than the Year of Africa by three years. On that day, 1963, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established by the decision of the summit of Heads of State and Government of 30 African countries in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. The Charter of the OAU was adopted, which proclaimed as its goals the promotion of unity and solidarity of African States, the coordination of their cooperation to ensure a better life for the peoples, and the protection of their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Since that time, the African continent has changed beyond recognition. Modern Africa is not only a supplier of many types of raw materials-oil, gold, diamonds, wood, as well as cocoa, tea, coffee, but also an emerging region of modern production.

However, Africa has not yet managed to overcome the legacy of its colonial past. It is torn apart by incessant inter-ethnic conflicts, tens of millions suffer from AIDS, and most African countries are characterized by low living standards, diseases, and non-compliance with basic sanitary standards. Africans are trying to solve these problems with the help of the international community.

For more than 30 years - since the beginning of the process of gaining independence on the continent - the Soviet Union has developed mutually beneficial cooperation with most African countries. For a long time, this was technical assistance, as well as military and humanitarian assistance. In Africa, with the help of the USSR, numerous industrial and agricultural facilities were built, hundreds of our military specialists worked, and a variety of military equipment was supplied. We have repeatedly provided humanitarian assistance to countries of the continent affected by natural disasters and regional conflicts. Russian universities have trained tens of thousands of highly qualified African specialists.

Domestic and international experts note that Russia's economic cooperation with African countries has a great potential for growth, but so far it has not been fully realized. This cooperation should not be limited to trade operations only; Russian businesses can and should invest in mutually beneficial projects in Africa and create joint ventures.

As for Russia's cooperation with African countries in the political sphere, there is a clear similarity of approaches on many issues. Most of the countries of the continent oppose a unipolar world and support the settlement of all inter-State disputes exclusively by peaceful means.

The 50th Anniversary of Africa and the 47th Africa Day are a great occasion to once again recall the role of the Black continent in the system of modern international relations and the great importance of the African vector in Russian foreign policy.

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