Putin to Hold 24 Bilateral Meetings at Gas Exporters Forum and Russia-Africa Summits

Vladimir Putin will participate from October 27-29 in two major international events in Moscow — the 8th summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries (GECF) and the third Russia-Africa summit, announced Yury Ushakov, the president's foreign policy advisor.

Ushakov characterized the coming week as extremely packed: "Frankly, there are several intense days ahead. The week will be extremely, extremely full — from Tuesday through Friday."

On October 27, Putin will speak at the GECF summit, where he will address problems in the gas industry, including geopolitical issues, and outline priority work directions. The Moscow Declaration will be adopted following the forum. On the sidelines of the summit, the president will hold negotiations with the leaders of Iran, Qatar, Mozambique, and Libya — a total of five bilateral meetings that day.

On October 28-29, the third Russia-Africa economic and humanitarian forum will take place. Forty-eight states have confirmed participation, 22 of which will be represented at the highest level. Putin will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on October 28, before the official reception at the Kremlin's Granovitaya Chamber. In total, 24 bilateral meetings are planned on the sidelines of both summits.

At the first plenary session of the Russia-Africa forum, Putin and Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiyе will deliver speeches, after which the leaders will make statements for the press. Following the summit, 33 intergovernmental documents are planned to be signed, as well as three final documents adopted.