The event in Equatorial Guinea will cover AI, cybersecurity, digital payments, and cross-border settlements for developing economies

A cybersecurity and AI forum being held in Equatorial Guinea next month will focus on “non-Western” approaches to protecting digital infrastructure and managing cross-border payments, the co-chair of the organizing committee has said.

The event will be held from September 15 to 17 and is backed by the president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, and his government. It aims to promote dialogue on digital and financial sovereignty outside Western frameworks.

Alexander Ryzhov, co-chair of the organizing committee, told African Initiative that the discussions would center on models suited to the needs of the Global South economies, including the security of banking, payment, and telecommunications systems.

“The main goal of our forum is to present ‘non-Western’ cybersecurity concepts aimed at protecting the banking, payment, and telecommunications industries,” Ryzhov said.

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The event will cover topics including Russia’s cybersecurity model for critical infrastructure, secure digital payment systems, and cloud storage solutions.

Invited Russian stakeholders include Rosatom, Rostelecom, major commercial banks, IT and cloud service providers, Russian federal agency Rossotrudnichestvo, and energy companies such as Gazprom, Rosneft, and Severstal. The China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation (UNFSSC), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, BRICS Bank, Asian-African Fund, and Huawei Technologies Co. are also invited.

The forum will also address broader strategic and economic issues. Planned discussions include opening mutual bank accounts, joint investment in mineral resource development, and establishing a North-South digital and telecoms corridor, Ryzhov stated.

At the Global Digital Forum in Nizhny Novgorod in June, delegates from African countries called for more inclusive and cooperative approaches to economic transformation, expressing interest in strengthening tech ties with Russia.

Eugenio Alberto Macumbe, head of Mozambique’s ICT Regulatory Authority’s Digital Governance Division, told RT his country is pursuing digital transformation and AI strategies, noting Russia’s advanced progress in AI and the value of learning from its expertise.

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In April, Aleksey Andreev, Russia’s trade representative in Morocco, said Moscow is ready to support African countries in developing technologies that promote self-sufficiency and sovereignty. Russia offers “not only software products, but an ecosystem of digital solutions that guarantee technological sovereignty and growth,” he said.

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