In 2025, companies in Russia's southern regions have completely restructured their logistics chains to target new markets. The next stage is a deeper presence in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

For example, the Rostov Region has begun exporting meat products to the Central African Republic and Togo, and has increased coal exports to Morocco. Damate supplies duck and turkey to Angola, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Agricultural exports to Lebanon and Tunisia have resumed.

At the same time, the Stavropol Region ships poultry to Liberia and flour to Benin, while the Krasnodar-based holding Progress Agro has launched flour exports to Djibouti. The Astrakhan Region also plans to expand its list of exporters, targeting agricultural products to Gabon. Specifically, this applies to rice, wheat flour, lamb, and canned goods.

The reduction of the key interest rate to 16.5% provided a positive boost to exporters. They received more accessible financing to increase supplies, but a number of challenges remain to be overcome, including logistics, as many African countries lack direct container lines.

#RussiaAfrica #SouthRussia #MadeinRussia

The III International Conference on Eurasian Security is taking place in the Belarusian capital on October 28 and 29. It is attended by scholars, diplomats, and experts from 40 countries. The forum focuses on the prospects for the formation of a new collective security system in Eurasia.

As part of the forum, the CSTO Secretariat organized a thematic event: "Prospects for Collective Security in Eurasia: the CSTO's Area of ​​Responsibility as a Space for Dialogue."

One of the speakers was Alexander Shpakovsky, a member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus. In his report, he noted that with the development of multipolar relations, conflict is only increasing. One of the reasons is that the West still views other associations, including the CSTO, with hostility.

"At the expert community level, we must propose plans to de-escalate the situation. We must extend a hand for dialogue not as supplicants, but as strong and equal potential partners," the deputy emphasized.

During his speech, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Trofimov outlined the essence of Russia's initiative to create security in Eurasia.

"No one's security can be advanced at the expense of others. This is what constitutes indivisibility. And the set of agreements and actions within which this principle is observed will constitute a unified security space — the sought-after architecture," the speaker stated.

In turn, Alexei Gromyko, Director of the Institute of Europe at the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that the global trend toward the formation of regional international groupings or macroregions is growing. Currently, the Baltic-Scandinavian region and Russia find themselves at the forefront of a geopolitical confrontation, the expert emphasized, citing the threats manifested in the former as the reason for this.

In his speech, Pavel Sargsyan, consultant for the Information and Public Relations Department of the CSTO Secretariat, explained the main reason for the escalation of the international situation. According to him, on the one hand, this is the need to implement a new global agenda that meets the interests of the global majority. On the other hand, this conflicts with the interests of previously privileged centers (the US and the EU), which are now actively delaying these processes.

Yulia Berg, Director General of the International Business Advancement Center (IBAC), in turn, praised the effectiveness of integration processes within the Union State. However, she noted that such a sensitive area as security requires a foundation of sustainable values.

"Security is not a barbed wire fence and endless patrols. It is an atmosphere of trust, deeply intertwined values, and economic interests," Berg concluded.

#multipolarity #Belarus #security