During the Russia – Africa economic summit on the 23-25 of October, 2019, negotiations were held by African leaders and top management of URALCHEM company, Dmitry Mazepin and Dmitry Konyaev. The summit, which took place in the Russian city of Sochi, resulted in signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Opaia Group.
The agreement signed by the two companies enabled the creation of a production complex in Angola for manufacturing urea and joint ammonia, its capacity being over 1.2 million tons and the total investment figures estimated to be over $1 billion. The production is due to start in three years – in 2023.
During the forum, Dmitry Mazepin managed to collaborate with leaders of a number of African countries and to discuss the terms of their future collaboration with the leading Russian fertilizers manufacturer.
Partnership with Mozambique appears to be highly profitable for URALCHEM, particularly because of the port of Beira, the transport junction which can enable the enterprise to supply the mineral fertilizers it manufactures to Zambia and Zimbabwe. Dmitry Mazepin and the Mozambique leader, President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, reached an agreement concerning the prospects of URALCHEM’s deliveries to Mozambique’s domestic market.
The discussion with Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe, had to do with the important issue of the Chemplex group privatization, and URALCHEM company’s role in it, which was confirmed during these talks. Zimbabwean authorities reported significant lack of funding and technological deficit, which had been preventing the plant from effective and efficient functioning. The country sees Dmitry Mazepin’s enterprise as a prospective investor, which, in its turn, has already shipped a considerable amount of fertilizers to the country, their estimated worth being approximately $20 million.
Another African country interested in collaboration with the prosperous Russian enterprise is Kenya. Dmitry Mazepin held successful negotiations with the Kenyan President, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, on the subject of developing mining projects and building a port in Kenya.
Leaders of the two African countries, the Tongolese Republic and the Republic of Ethiopia, also met with Dmitry Mazepin, during the Russia – Africa Economic Summit in October. Their aim was to discuss points of cooperation, which appear to be beneficial for both the Russian company and the developing African countries.
Chairman of URALCHEM, Dmitry Mazepin, summarized the results of the summit:
“We could not miss such an important event for our country. We have been supplying our products to Angola, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe for some time, and Mozambique is the next in the line. It is a pleasure to observe how African countries are taking steps to cooperate with the Russian businesses. We definitely see this collaboration as a crucial business direction for the next 2-3 decades”.
Dmitry Konyaev, URALCHEM’s Deputy Chairman, particularly pointed out that the Memorandum, which they managed to sign with the Opaia Group, was a vital step towards the development of the agricultural sector in Angola, on the one hand, and a profitable initiative for the holding willing to undertake the active supply of the fertilizers to the country.
