EN 
RU 
Our interlocutor today is Oksana Vadimovna Mayorova, co-founder of the Pan-African Center for the Development of PPP (public-private partnership). She told how her center works, what formats of interaction with the African continent she considers the most promising, and what “aftertaste” the St. Petersburg Russia-Africa forum left with her.
– Oksana Vadimovna, you are a co-founder of the Pan-African PPP Development Center. What were your main goals when creating it? What goals do you set for yourself in the coming years?
– I have a narrow task of doing what I have been good at for a long time. Why public-private partnership? PPP is perhaps the only tool and mechanism for creating infrastructure facilities without losing independence.
To develop, every state needs infrastructure: hospitals, roads, stadiums, bridges, railways. And these are capital-intensive projects. It is almost impossible to make them a developing state. And in order to give them life, the state creates PPP.
– How it works? Literally, in a few words…
– The state says to business: please do this kind of project, we really need it. Terms are always negotiable. These projects are usually designed for 20 – 25 – 30 years. And its result is always the property of the state. If a private business builds a stadium, road or bridge within the framework of a public-private partnership, then this object belongs to the state, for which it is strategically important to remain the owner of its infrastructure. The private party has the right to manage and make a profit.
In our country, the PPP instrument has received tremendous development. Recently, many facilities have been built that, under other conditions, would never have started working. As a private consultant, I have advised the governments of various African countries a lot, and I understand perfectly well the importance of this instrument, especially considering that most African countries are heading towards independence. I am happy to develop this tool, I see the future behind it. Why am I doing this, including from Russia? Many of our private investors are ready to enter into large projects in Africa, but they need guarantees. Public-private partnership is a guarantee that capital will be returned. After all, these guarantees are provided by the state itself. I set big goals for myself. Now I work in 11 countries, and I hope that in the next five to seven years our company will reach 25 – 27.
– You took part in the Second St. Petersburg Forum “Russia – Africa”. Please share your impressions. And not only from official events, but also from behind-the-scenes meetings and conversations. What kind of “aftertaste” did it leave on you?
– I was very happy and inspired, because a large number of our friends and partners from Africa took part in it. These are people who believe in Russia, love us, trust us. And the most important impression, in which I am even more confirmed, is that Russia is now at a point of trust. If we now convert this point of trust into some geopolitical advantages, then we will be on top. I hope that Russia will be able to do this.
– What formats of interaction with the African continent are most promising today? After all, Africa is different, and therefore an individual approach to different countries is needed? Or is it more correct to talk not about approaches to different countries, but about approaches to different areas of cooperation – humanitarian, economic, cultural, etc.?
– To be honest, I don’t know how this happened, but it is much easier to work with those countries that are friendly to Russia. Maybe because we are at a point of trust and somewhere deep down we have some common values. We work with these countries precisely on the principle of cooperation. We do not have the background of colonialists. It’s a very cliched phrase, but it’s true. The first phrase I always hear addressed to Russia is: “Oh, Russia never colonized Africa! Russia never enslaved anyone. Russia is our brothers. Russia wants to cooperate with us.”
– This is a huge plus that we simply must convert!
– Right. The rest of the world has a reputation for being colonizers. Russia behaves differently. Our country says: we will build a factory, and to it three hospitals, two first aid stations, one school and will give 8 scholarships for the education of your children. And the locals say: this is great!
At the same time, I see the behavior of other countries that come to Africa for resources. Maybe socially they are doing the same thing as us. But initially, Africans have a different attitude towards them – they have already taken a lot from us, now they want to take even more.
It is very easy to work with those countries with which we have a similar religion. For example, in Ethiopia, all issues are resolved very simply. This is a country where Orthodoxy became the state religion in 330. Much earlier than ours. Do you know how they wish each other Merry Christmas and Epiphany? Photos of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin bathing in an icy cross-shaped lake kill.
For them, our president is a hero, Russia is a hero, Yuri Gagarin is a deity.
It is quite easy to work with Muslim countries, since we have common tendencies to protect family and moral values and traditions.
– Are things different with countries that are under strong Western influence?
“The pressure on their leadership from the United States and its Western allies is incredibly strong. After all, we have to work not only with people, but also with the authorities. And when the authorities have such a position, constructive cooperation does not work out. But this does not mean that you need to give up. Quite the opposite.
For ordinary Africans, Vladimir Putin is a real hero, because he was the only one who was not afraid to openly say that America was wrong, and was not afraid to confront it.
– What risks are possible? What problems have you already encountered in your work? And is it possible to somehow calculate and minimize them?
– Firstly, there is high corruption in Africa. Many countries where colonial influence is very strong have an absolutely consumerist attitude towards outside money. They don’t want to earn money, they only want to receive and spend. Therefore, they need to be taught how to earn money. When your money is looked at as a charity handout given simply because their ancestors were once chained and forced to work, it is of little use. Add to this the very low professional level of first-level workers.
– Oksana Vadimovna, you have been “engaged” in Africa for a long time. How long does it take to understand it? What is it like for you? What attracts you to her?
– To understand Africa, you need to love it. And in order to love her, you don’t need anything. It must come from the heart. It’s either there or it’s not.
My Africa is very alive. I’ll try to explain. Recently, my Ethiopian friends came to visit me, and I took them to Red Square. We watched the changing of the guard near the Eternal Flame. And one good friend of mine filmed not the soldiers and the process itself, but the people who came to watch it. To my question “why?” he replied that he wanted to show in his homeland how our people come to the place of their memory and pride. He has been to many countries, and everywhere the changing of the guard of honor is a show for tourists. Fur hats, pompoms on feet… and people come, look at it like it’s a performance, and smile. And our people come with their children, stand, watch and cry. My friend cried too. And he said that he simply had to show in his country how we cherish our past, how we respect our history. And this is life. It doesn’t matter to him how bright the illumination is on Red Square. It is important to him that our people bring their children not to watch the honor guard wave sabers and march, but to teach them to remember, respect and be proud.
And my Ethiopian friends were also surprised by the fact that near the eternal flame there is a stele symbolizing Kyiv. They were shocked that despite what was happening in the world, despite the fact that relations with Ukraine had changed at the moment, we were not destroying anything indiscriminately. For me, that conversation also became a tremendous experience.
Then we approached the monument to Georgy Zhukov. I began to talk about this great commander, we began to discuss his contribution to the victory in the Second World War. And then it was my turn to be surprised. It turned out that they were sure that the Americans had taken Berlin. Can you imagine?! This is what the residents of an absolutely pro-Russian country say! And then I realized how we are losing in terms of propaganda. There is a lot of work to be done. As for the education and dissemination of Russian culture, there are the broadest horizons here.
Interviewed by Yulia NOVITSKAYA, writer, journalist-interviewer, correspondent for “New Eastern Outlook”