Russia, São Tomé & Principe Discuss Increasing Bilateral Cooperation

Russia and São Tomé & Principe have discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas including military affairs and agriculture, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated.

Vladimir Tararov, the Russian ambassador to São Tomé & Principe, met with Sao Tomean Prime Minister Americo Ramos for talks on July 2nd, which, according to the embassy, focused on “current topics of bilateral cooperation of mutual interest.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry further elaborated, saying “The parties touched upon topical topics of bilateral cooperation of mutual interest, including issues of strengthening Russian-San Tomean cooperation in the military-technical sphere, in the field of agriculture and preservation of aquatic bioresources.”

The two countries signed an agreement aimed at developing long-term military cooperation last year. This covers areas such as the joint training of military personnel, recruitment of armed forces, logistical support, exchange of experience and information in counter-extremism and training of commanders. The agreement will remain in force indefinitely. Last November, the agreement was ratified by Russia, giving Navy ships access to São Tomé’s Atlantic Ocean ports for refueling.

Alexei Chepa, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, had previously said “With the ratification of the agreement, Russia may establish a presence at a specific base. Today, a large number of ports where our ships could call for refueling are closed. Therefore, certain opportunities to find friendly ports greatly facilitate the activities of our fleet”.

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, located west of the coast of mainland Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon. The archipelago consists of two large islands, São Tomé (836 sq km) and Príncipe (128 sq km), as well as four smaller islands. The strategic location of São Tomé and Príncipe gives Russia the opportunity to deploy logistical support and monitor the movement of ships in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. The islands can serve as bases for Black Sea Fleet ships and radio interception centers, allowing for the monitoring of communications over a wide radius.

São Tomé & Principe also provides shipping registry services, while its main port is relatively well developed and can handle a wide variety of vessels. Russia has also recently been undertaking the Great African Expedition maritime research project, analyzing fisheries potential off the Atlantic West African coast.

São Tomé & Príncipe’s rich volcanic soil and proximity to the equator have also made São Tomé and Príncipe ideal for sugar cultivation, as well as for coffee, cocoa and the lucrative plantation economy. It also has extensive fishing rights. Historically, São Tomé has strong historical ties to colonial Portugal.

The security move gives Russia an effective West African coastal naval and support facility and will mean Russia could provide additional military support to the Sahel countries of Africa as they move from European colonialism to independence. São Tomé could be used, for example, for monitoring Nigerian ports. The country is 6 hours sailing from Sao Tome by ship, is the world’s 16th largest oil producer, a member of OPEC, and a BRICS partner nation.

The islands have a population of 220,000, with a GDP (PPP) of about US$1 billion and a GDP (PPP) per capita of about US$4,300. The anticipated GDP growth rate for 2025 is 3.1%.

Russian trade is minimal; however, trading opportunities will arise in the maritime, fishing, and ship repair sectors as the cooperation agreement gets underway.