Русский
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak is on a working visit to the Republic of the Congo and has said that Russia places high priority on developing comprehensive relations with the African country and that joint projects between Moscow and Brazzaville are expected to further strengthen bilateral ties.
Novak stated that “We are confident that the implementation of joint projects and the expansion of cooperation in various fields will help deepen the partnership between our countries at all levels and bring tangible benefits to the peoples of both states.”
Novak arrived in Congo (Brazzaville) on Thursday (April 16) as the head of a Russian delegation and took part in the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Denis Sassou Nguesso. As part of the trip, the minister visited the Russian House in the capital and paid tribute at a local monument to Yuri Gagarin, where he laid flowers.
At the same time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko and Congolese Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso discussed preparations for the third Russia–Africa Summit, which is planned for this year in Moscow.
In addition, the ministers raised the topic of expanding trade and economic cooperation, with a focus on projects in the fields of energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and personnel training. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, discussions were held in line with agreements reached during talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso in Moscow in May and in Beijing in September.
Nguesso was sworn in on April 16 for his eighth presidential term. The 82-year-old leader won the March election with 94.8% of the vote among seven candidates. He first came to power in 1979.
The Congo has a population of approximately 6.3 million people, a GDP (PPP) of US$28 billion, and a GDP per capita (PPP) of US$5,550. It has the tenth largest oil reserves in Africa and is a critical component of powering future pan-African industrial growth.
The Russian ambassador to the Congo, Ilyas Iskandarov, has previously stated that “In 2025 the Congolese economy showed positive dynamics, and in 2026 GDP growth of 3.6 percent is expected due to oil production, the development of agriculture, and mining. Over the post-Covid period bilateral trade turnover has increased fourfold.”
Iskandarov stated that Russian companies—Lukoil, Rosatom, Inter RAO–Export, Sberbank, and Rusal—are already operating in the country. In addition, an agreement on the construction of the Pointe-Noire – Lutete – Maloukou – Tréchot petroleum products pipeline has been signed and ratified. That will ferry oil from the Congo’s offshore reserves to the capital city. Russia holds a 90% stake in this project. Construction is planned from 2026 and to be completed within three years and should be operational by the end of 2029.
Russia has other investments in the oil and gas sector, including related projects, while military and technical cooperation is also part of the bilateral mix, with training and supplies of new Russian military equipment to the country.
In 2025, bilateral trade between Russia and the Republic of the Congo reached to US$280 million, and has more than doubled since 2024.
The structure of trade between Russia and the Republic of the Congo has changed compared to previous years. In 2021, the key items of Russian exports to the Congo were wheat and mueselin (a mixture of rye and wheat), as well as plastics, rubber, and tires. In 2023, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, and petroleum products were added to these items. In 2025, the structure of exports from Russia underwent further changes, with mining equipment, power plants, and agricultural machinery becoming the main items of supply. This is due to the development of energy projects, hydrocarbon extraction, and infrastructure modernization in The Congo, as well as the growing demand for Russian technologies and equipment.
The Republic of Congo traditionally exports coffee, fruits (bananas, pineapples, and mangoes), valuable timber and lumber, precious stones (diamonds), and metals (copper and cobalt), as well as cocoa beans and their processed products, to Russia.
It can be expected that bilateral trade and Russian investments in the Congo will continue to grow.
