SA, Russia plaster bilateral relations

By Dikeledi Molobela

St. Petersburg, Russia – As south Africa prepares to host the 15th BRICS summit in August, President Vladimir Putin has expressed his full support and confidence in the summit’s success.  

The Russian Head of State stressed the close collaboration between Russia and South Africa in various international fora like the United Nations, G20 and other multilateral organisations such as BRICS, which is currently being chaired by South Africa. 

“We closely and constructively cooperate within this grouping in order to extend our strategic cooperation between the five countries [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa]. 

“I am convinced that the meeting you are currently preparing for will be held on the highest level possible. I have no doubts about this and we will spare no effort in giving our assistance to you,” he said. 

President Putin was speaking on Saturday during a bilateral meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa at Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg. The gathering was held to discuss South Africa and Russia’s bilateral relations. 

In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his sincere appreciation, underscoring the longstanding history of collaboration between the two nations. 

He emphasised that their cooperation goes back to their joint efforts within the G20, where they have successfully worked together on numerous critical issues.

Additionally, President Ramaphosa said, the partnership extends to the BRICS platform, where they have actively engaged in addressing matters of mutual interest.

“We are delighted to have your support as we are going to host BRICS in a few weeks. We agree with you that BRICS should be held at an appropriate level. 

“We are in the process of preparing for BRICS and we thank you for the support you are giving and that you are willing to give. As it is, a number of Russian officials and Ministers have been to South Africa to attend the various preparatory meetings that are taking place for BRICS. We are hoping that the participation of all the BRICS countries will lead to a valuable outcome. We are looking forward to a successful summit,” President Ramaphosa said. 

Turning attention to the recently concluded second Russia-Africa Summit, President Ramaphosa lauded President Putin for hosting a successful summit, with a declaration that was “well negotiated and well crafted”, representing the views of various countries. 

President Ramaphosa took the opportunity to express gratitude to his counterpart for hosting a successful and well organised summit. 

“We believe the summit was successful and well organised. The outcome was very good and the declaration was well negotiated and well crafted. 

“It represents the views of various countries that were here and put together with your views. I believe that we have a declaration that can take forward our relationship between Africa and Russia. 

“What is particularly pleasing is that Russia conducts its relationship with Africa at a strategic level, with a great deal of respect for and recognition of the sovereignty of African States,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa acknowledged that Russia’s support for Africa has remained steadfast over time, dating back to the days of the Soviet Union. He expressed satisfaction that the spirit of cooperation between Russia and Africa endures to this day.

Trade ties

Regarding the bilateral relationship between Russia and South Africa, President Ramaphosa affirmed that the two nations share and uphold strong ties.

“It’s a multi-level relationship. On an investment level, there are quite a number of companies in the South African market that are also invested in the Russia market,” he said.

The President emphasised that South Africa is presently grappling with an energy crisis and could gain valuable insights from Russia’s experience. 

“Currently, South Africa is going through an energy crisis and we could learn a lot and do a lot together with Russia on the energy side. On the science and technology side, there’s a great deal that we can learn from each other. We can learn a lot from you,” he said. 

The President mentioned his interest in exploring fields such as space, noting the presence of a Space Institute in South Africa.

“You have advanced a great deal in space, and that is one area in which we could cooperate.

“We appreciate the support we received from Russia during the COVID-19. Your innovation when it came to COVID-19 helped to inspire our own scientists. I remember you [President Putin] and I having a conversation after our scientists discovered Omicron and we spoke on the phone. You sent Russian scientists to South Africa so that we could exchange views. I do believe that that was really impactful. We thank you for that,” the President said. 

Regarding education, the President expressed South Africa’s deep appreciation for the support received from Russia. He conveyed his desire to encourage an increasing number of students to pursue studies in various disciplines in Russia. 

President Ramaphosa acknowledged the value of the extensive support provided by President Putin to many South Africans who have been educated in Russia, and expressed his wish to see this support continue.

Furthermore, President Ramaphosa praised President Putin’s stance on the representation of Africa at the United Nations level.

“We’d like to appreciate your position on the issue of the representation of Africa at the UN level. We continue to be a continent that is not represented in the key structures of the UN. Thank you for being supportive in that regard,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za