Russian-Togolese relations: background, problems and prospects

Sizykh Mariya Mikhailovna ORCID: 0000-0003-0457-0783 Senior Lecturer; International Faculty; Baikal State University 664022, Russia, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk, Semen Lagoda str., 4/3, sq. 77 sizykh_maria@mail.ru

Assogba Semevo Magluar Master's degree; Department of Management and Service; Baikal State University 664003, Russia, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk, Lenin str., 11 magloirea479@gmail.com

One of the aspects of the implementation of Russia's international relations, stated in the Concept of the Russian Federation's Foreign Policy, is the support of "regional and sub-regional integration within the framework of friendly multilateral institutions, dialogue platforms and regional associations in the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East" ^[9]. The Togolese Republic is one of the member countries of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Studying the history of Russian-Togolese relations and significant moments of interaction between the countries contributes to the formation of a positive image of Russia on the world political stage, consolidating the idea of Russia as strategic partners with exceptionally positive experience of interstate cooperation.

The object of the study is the bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the Togolese Republic. The subject of the study was the peculiarities of the historical development of political, economic, cultural and academic relations between these states. In the course of the research, the authors used historical, statistical and analytical methods. The relevance of this work is determined by the intensive development of bilateral relations between these countries. The scientific novelty of this article lies in the comprehensive consideration of Russian-Togolese relations, which includes not only political and economic aspects, but also academic ties and cultural exchange, in addition, Russian-Togolese relations for the first time became the object of scientific consideration. The purpose of this study is to identify key stages in the development of Russian-Togolese relations and identify areas of cooperation..

1. Diplomatic relations and political relations

Togo (officially the Togolese Republic) is a country located in West Africa, with Lomé as its capital. Just as each country maintains diplomatic relations with other countries, Togo has several key partners at the international level with whom it has not only political, economic, but also cultural relations. Along with France, Germany, Great Britain and other countries, Togo also maintained relations with Russia (and earlier with the USSR).

Relations between Russia and Togo have a relatively short history due to their geographical distance. The beginning of diplomatic relations can be considered April 27, 1960, the date of recognition of the independence of the Republic of Togo. The USSR delegation was also present at the proclamation ceremony of the republic, thus the Soviet Union became one of the first states to recognize the country's independence ^{[6, p. 5]}. An official diplomatic meeting between the Soviet Union and Togo took place on May 1, 1960 and led to the signing of a number of agreements. In the period from 1962 to 1986, parliamentary delegations repeatedly visited the Soviet Union on official visits, and in 1982 and 1991, delegations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR visited Togo.

From 1961 to 1983, several agreements were signed between the USSR and the Republic of Togo to promote trade, economic, cultural cooperation and the development of transport links.:

1983 – Air Service Agreement.

1983 – Agreement on the Fundamentals of the Development of Friendly Relations.

1978 – Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation.

1965 – Agreement on Cultural and Scientific Cooperation.

1961 – Trade Agreement.

1961 – Protocol on the legal status of the USSR Trade Mission in Togo ^[17].

Relations developed intensively at that time, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union (December 26, 1991), the USSR Embassy and the trade mission in Lomé (the capital of Togo) were closed. Only on March 11, 2002, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Timofeev, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Togo, Koffi Panou, in an effort to maintain and develop a dialogue on bilateral and international issues of mutual interest, signed a Protocol of Consultations between the two ministries, in which they pledged to hold regular consultations to exchange views on cooperation ^[14].

According to the Protocol on Consultations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Togolese Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation undertake to hold "consultations in order to exchange views on issues of bilateral relations and international issues of mutual interest" ^{[16, p. 1]}, the Protocol describes the order of these consultations, their order, time and place. In accordance with the text of the Protocol, the parties undertake to conduct study tours for employees of ministries in a bilateral mode in order to exchange experiences.

In 2018, for the first time, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the Togolese Republic Fore Essozimna Gnassimbe met in Johannesburg at the BRICS summit in South Africa. In the same year, Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was on a working visit, was received by the President of the Togolese Republic in Lomé, during which credentials were presented. At the reception, strategies for strengthening cooperation between Lome and Moscow were discussed, especially in the economic, trade, energy, agricultural and educational spheres ^[1].

In October 2019, in Sochi, the President of the Togolese Republic took part in the Russia–Africa summit, which revealed new prospects for Russian-Togolese cooperation.

On February 16, 2021, the first ever visit of the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Togolese Republic to the Russian Federation took place. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dassey held a discussion on combating terrorist threats in Africa and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea ^[5].

Following the discussions, the following documents were signed.

2021 – Joint Declaration banning the first deployment of weapons in Outer Space;

2021 – Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Togolese Republic on the mutual abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic or official passports ^[18]. The signed agreement significantly simplifies the organization of official and diplomatic trips for employees of the diplomatic corps and their family members and allows them to stay in the territory of the designated states without visas for up to 90 days.

Obviously, the closure of the USSR Embassy and the trade mission in Loma caused the loss of diplomatic relations for 20 years. An analysis of the diplomatic documents signed in 2021 and later indicates a revival of sustained mutual interest and a desire to resume ties, and also reflects the prospect of developing friendly relations between Russia and Togo.

2. Economic relations

The first official document attesting to the establishment of economic relations is the "Protocol on the Legal Status of the Trade Mission of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the Togolese Republic" ^[17]. The document was signed and entered into force on June 14, 1961, and is currently in force (according to the Electronic Fund of Legal and Regulatory Documents). Other agreements describing the order of trade and economic relations between the countries are not publicly available, which indicates that such relations in the period after the collapse of the USSR, if they took place, were of a private nature and did not play a significant role in interstate relations.

In 2021, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Sergey Lavrov and Robert Dussey, decided to increase the volume of their exchanges by organizing economic missions in order to bring the two business communities closer. The ministers signed a memorandum of understanding between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Russia and Togo. The Minister of Togo insisted on strengthening Russian-Togolese cooperation in the fields of agricultural and mining processing, energy and transport.

3. Academic connections

The formation of sustainable economic, educational, business, cultural and other relations is impossible without highly qualified specialists in a wide range of fields. The development of human resources, the training of members of the diplomatic corps, international relations specialists, and translators is a prerequisite for the further development of Russian-Togolese relations. Establishing academic ties and obtaining higher education for Togolese citizens is a successful strategy in establishing and strengthening Russian-Togolese relations.

Soviet universities have trained more than 900 specialists of various profiles, including about 20 candidates of sciences. Togolese scientists were interested in various areas of the young state's development, from foreign policy ^[10] to the formation of dramatic art ^[11]. Economic and social aspects of education development in the Republic Togo became the object of study of K. M'gbone ^[13]. Economic issues have been widely studied, in particular, the problems of industrial planning in the republic ^[4] and the stages of development of the country's economy ^[7]. K. T. Amegninu-Kangnivi ^[3] and T. Chalim ^[19] declare the need for restructuring agriculture and ways to improve its economic efficiency in their scientific works. Philological researchers were interested in the issue of language planning in a multiethnic and multilingual state ^[2].

In turn, Soviet scientists were also interested in the Republic of Togo, for example, the experience and methods of combating malaria in this country became an object of study ^[8]. An in-depth study of the processes of socialization of children among the EWE peoples, including those living in the Republic of Togo, is described in the work of S. E. Kudolo ^[12].

Analysis of published scientific materials in open Russian sources (RGB, NEB, eLIBRARY.RU It shows that no PhD or doctoral dissertations have been defended since 1995, which indicates the loss of scientific ties and the need to restore academic relations with the republic.

In the field of education, Russia has been providing scholarships to Togolese students since Soviet times, as evidenced by Mr. Chari Kofi, President of the second State University of Togo (University of Kara), who studied mathematics in Belarus and holds a doctorate. After the negotiations between the foreign ministers of Russia and Togo in 2021, the attitude towards academic relations has changed significantly.

After participating in the last Russia–Africa summit, Russia has increased the number of scholarships for Africans. In Togo, the number of scholarships has never exceeded 10 in previous years, but in 2022-2023 this number has increased from 10 to 86. Thus, 86 students have received a scholarship and are currently studying in different regions and cities of Russia. In 2023, 108 Togolese students were selected for the second stage of the 2023-2024 scholarship campaign.

According to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation "On grant support for talented foreign citizens and stateless persons studying in Russian organizations engaged in educational activities on the territory of the Russian Federation," the Russian Federation undertakes obligations to pay for the education of foreign citizens in Russian universities, transportation costs (arrival at the place of study), and a monthly scholarship for students according to the results of attestation in all subjects, they have at least "good" (in the period from the beginning of the academic year to the month of completion of the first intermediate attestation in accordance with the academic calendar, such payment is made to all foreign citizens who are recipients of grant support); payment of a voluntary health insurance policy for the period of study, and also compensates for the cost payment for accommodation in a dormitory of an educational organization ^[15]. It is worth noting that in Russia, not only scholarship holders from Togo receive higher education, but also students of commercial education.

Russian Russian education, the Russian language and Russian culture are becoming an effective mechanism in establishing Russian-Togolese relations, and the attention paid to the Russian language by the citizens of Togo is conditioned by the real opportunity to receive higher education at various levels (from bachelor's to postgraduate degrees). at the expense of the Federal Budget of the Russian Federation.

4. Cultural relations and promotion of the Russian language

According to the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, "the task of forming a positive perception of Russia abroad and a friendly attitude towards it is coming to the fore" ^[9]. Russian Russian language and culture popularization is one of the successful strategies for the implementation of this task. Russian Russian Homes, open schools of the Russian language, support for alumni associations of Russian and Soviet universities, international festivals of science and culture, and the organization of educational exhibitions are considered effective measures in the implementation of this strategy. For example, on December 20, 2023, the Day of Russian Cinema was held in Loma. The films "The Big One" (2017) and "Three Seconds" (2017) were presented. In between the screenings of these films, the guests had the opportunity to take part in a traditional Russian tea ceremony.

Currently, there is no "Russian House" in Togo, but two associations are functioning – the Association of Russian Women in Togo Druzhba and the Association of Graduates of Soviet (Russian) Universities Druzhba Allies

The Friendship Association of Russian Women in Togo was established in 1988. Today, the association has more than 60 representatives from Russia, the USSR and the CIS countries living in Togo. Russian Russian Friendship Association aims not only to establish and strengthen ties between people from the USSR and Russia living in Togo, but also to promote and popularize the Russian language and culture, introduce children to the culture and values of the Russian people, and educate them about the history of Russia.

Seme Didier heads the Friendship of Allies Association, which unites graduates of Soviet and Russian universities. No other information on the functioning of the association is provided in open sources.

Russian as a foreign language is taught at the State University in Loma at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Literature and Art, as well as at the University of Kara. Russian Russian was taught in small groups, and up to 10 students from France, Germany, and the Republic of Togo attend Russian language courses annually, according to an interview with N. Kozlova, a lecturer at the University of Kara. Students choose Russian as a foreign language at the university in most cases in order to continue their studies in Russia. This choice is facilitated by the provision of grants for talented foreign youth to study in Russia, including from. Russian is chosen for personal or family reasons, as well as for doing business in Russia. Russian Russian students have the opportunity to study Russian at the elementary (A1) and basic (A2) levels, but there are no courses for learning Russian at the advanced and professional levels at the university. The training is conducted using authentic materials and textbooks published in Russia.

Russian-Togolese bilateral relations in modern Russia are based on cooperation in almost all spheres (economic, social, political, cultural and educational, etc.), but they are spontaneous and based on the personal initiative of interested persons – graduates of Russian universities, immigrants from the CIS and the USSR, teachers of the Russian language. Russian Russian House is an obvious necessity for systematic measures to support existing associations, and the opening of the Russian House is critically important for promoting the Russian language and the values of the Russian people. The key to effective international Russian-Togolese cooperation is the opening of the Russian Embassy in Togo. The current Russian Embassy in Benin also serves residents of Togo, however, the registration of the necessary documentation for Togolese requires additional costs associated with travel outside the territory of Togo. In turn, it is necessary to establish a consulate of the Republic of Togo in Russia, which will take care of the citizens of the Republic and serve as an intermediary between the two peoples.

An analysis of diplomatic documents, historical events, scientific facts, cultural events, etc. generally shows that Russian-Togolese relations are based on trust, friendship and respect, mutual interest in the culture and history of the two peoples is obvious, but their further development is impossible without addressing the issues identified at the state level.