Participants discussed new opportunities for cooperation, development of culture and art, expansion of cultural ties, and implementation of joint creative projects between Russia and Africa in the creative industries.

Particular attention was paid to the cultural identity of people and its potential to create competitive advantages and achieve socio-eco­nomic development goals.

Fedor Lukyanov, Academic Director, Foundation for Devel­opment and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Chief Editor, Russia in Global Affairs Journal moderated the session.
    

Discussants at the session included El Hadji Ousmane Barro Dione, General Director, Daniel Sorano National Theater Company; Grigory Zaslavskiy, Rector, Russian Institute of Theatre Arts GITIS; Tinatin Kandelaki, Deputy Director General, Gazprom-Media Holding; Managing Director, Gazprom-Me­dia Entertainment Television; Natalya Komarova, Governor of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area andYugra; HippolyteFofack, Chief Economist, African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank).

Others were Nadezhda Pre­podobnaya, Secretary of State – Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation; Alexander Sedov, Chief Executive Officer, State Museum of Oriental Art; Ekaterina Cherkes-zade, Director of the Centre for Creative Econo­my Development at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.

The rest were Yuliya Kupina, Director, the Russian Museum of Ethnography; Stella Londadjim Ngonyam, Candidate of Cultural Sciences; Ekaterina Naumova, Act­ing General Director, Roskino; and Olga Khomova, General Director, of State Academic Capella in St. Petersburg.

“The creative industries sector of­fers great opportunities for national cultures to get closer and enrich each other within the framework of Russia’s developing cooperation with Africa, which is reaching a new level. The exchange of knowledge and experience and the establish­ment of effective partnerships in this promising area of economic cooperation will contribute to the successful implementation of joint projects,” Anton Kobyakov, Advi­sor to the President of the Russian Federation noted.

El Hadji Ousmane Barro Dione, General Director, Daniel Sorano National Theater Company, noted: “Senegal has become a candidate for the Spirit of Fire International Debut Film Festival, as the country is interested in producing films offering insight into African culture. Government funds are being set up to support cultural industries that showcase the diversity of cultures.”

He said, “The continent’s 1.3 billion people have a wide variety of national traditions, and this pro­vides inexhaustible opportunities for the development and mutual enrichment of the cultures of African countries and the peoples of Russia.”

“At this year’s Spirit of Fire International Debut Film Festi­val, India was the guest. We are looking forward to seeing our friends from Africa at the Festival. We are interested in partnerships and the development of relations in all areas related to creative industries. Yugra and Africa share a priority – the preservation and development of traditions and knowledge of original peoples rich in cultural heritage. Yugra’s creative industries have their own image and voice.

It is important for us to devel­op such joint activities, the prod­ucts of which will be competitive, and do it in cooperation with Af­rican countries,” Natalya Koma­rova, Governor of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area –Yugra said.

“It is important for us to con­tinue building bridges in culture as a foundation for economic development. We see culture as a means of integration, and we want to emphasize the importance of this aspect internationally.

Afreximbank can offer good entry points into African creative industries, development opportu­nities, and investments with good returns,”Hippolyte Fofack, Chief Economist, African Export–Im­port Bank (Afreximbank) said.