PUTIN WOOS AFRICAN LEADERS AT SHOWCASE SUMMIT, SAYS RUSSIA IS BETTER PARTNER THAN 'COLONIAL' WEST. (PHOTO).

 Putin woos African leaders at showcase summit, says Russia is better partner than 'colonial' West

President Vladimir Putin told African leaders ​on Wednesday that Russia was their best partner, accusing what he cast as a colonial West of still trying ‌to exploit the continent's resources and using debt to hold back development, Reuters reported.

The Kremlin chief was speaking at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, a two-day event attended by African leaders and government delegations from 48 countries, during which he will hold one-on-one talks with many of the 22 individual African leaders ​attending on everything from trade to security, arms deals and grain supplies.

"Africa is increasingly asserting itself as one of the key players in the global economy and politics. However, the emergence of a multipolar world is, of ​course, no easy task; it faces resistance from countries that are not prepared to accept this reality: those who are accustomed to ​thinking in terms of their colonial past and to enriching themselves fabulously," Putin, whom Western critics regularly accuse of trying to leverage Africa's colonial ‌past to ⁠Moscow's own benefit, told the summit.

He did not name the countries he had in mind, but went on to speak about what he called "active attempts by Western countries" to drive Africans back into debt bondage and to force them to accept much-needed financial resources on predatory terms, which he said slowed their long-term development.

By contrast, Putin said Russia was ready to share its know-how, including digital know-how, and localise production rather than just buy raw ⁠materials.

"Our business does not engage in the predatory, neo-colonial exploitation of natural and human resources, but rather expands the processing of raw materials locally, thereby creating new jobs and generating tax revenue," said Putin.