Characteristics of the African Policy of Contemporary Cuba

The subject of the research is Cuba's foreign policy. The focus of the study is on Havana's foreign policy activities in Africa during the period from 2010 to 2025. The author examines the history of Cuba's activities in Africa, the contemporary relations between Cuba and its key partners in the region—South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Ethiopia, and Algeria—are analyzed. The particular features of Cuba's foreign policy towards Africa and the significance of its relations with the continent for Havana are identified. Special attention is paid to several aspects important for maintaining the intensity of Cuba-Africa relations. These include the role of historical memory in justifying current cooperation, the dynamics of high-level diplomatic visits, and Cuba's medical and educational diplomacy. The goals of Cuba’s foreign policy towards Africa are considered in the context of the increasing role of the Global South in global politics. General scientific methods of cognition are applied, including analysis and synthesis, as well as elements of the comparative method. The sources for the analysis include documents and informational materials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Cuba and African countries, as well as media materials from Cuba and African nations, and scientific works by domestic and foreign specialists. The scientific novelty of the work is due to the lack of attempts in domestic science to analyze the modern foreign policy of Cuba concerning African countries. This study demonstrates the adaptation of the Caribbean republic to the challenges of today's global politics. Key findings include, firstly, the continuing importance of Africa for Cuba’s global objectives, which are to prevent the diplomatic and economic isolation of the island and to seek partners for trade and innovative cooperation. African countries support Havana in the UN and are willing to pay for the services of Cuban specialists. Secondly, Cuba not only continues to maintain, but also to develop cooperation with African countries. It has been established that in the last three years, Cuba has intensified high-level diplomatic visits to Africa—countries on the continent have been visited by the president, the vice-president, and the minister of foreign affairs. Havana interacts with Africa not only bilaterally but also multilaterally, and has good relations with organizations such as the African Union and ECOWAS.

Cuba, Africa, foreign policy, Republic of South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Algeria, medical diplomacy, solidarity