Sixth Russian-Congolese Intergovernmental Commission Begins

The 6th meeting of the Russian-Congolese Mixed Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Trade will meet today in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo.

The gathering will last through Friday, September 23, and is a timely follow-up to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s trip to the Congolese town of Oyo where he met with President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso in late July. There, discussions broadly revolved around Russian investment in Congolese energy and minerals, increasing Africa’s voice at the UN Security Council, and the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit in 2023.

Expect the Russian-Congolese Commission to focus on increasing Russian trade with Congo and assure the continued shipment of important commodities such as wheat, which is Russia’s primary export to Congo. Building off Lavrov’s focus on Congolese minerals, there is a possibility that Russia proposes funding the re-opening of Shinkolobwe, Congo’s largest uranium mine that was formally closed in 2004. Closer economic ties with Congo and other developing African states could supply the raw materials needed to fuel Russia’s war machine and, in the long-term, provide Russia with an alternative base of foreign political and economic support.