Putin: The Relations Between Russia and South Africa Are Strategic and Deepening

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the level of relations between Russia and South Africa, noting a 16.4% increase in trade exchange during the past year. During a meeting on Saturday with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in St. Petersburg, after the conclusion of the "Russia-Africa" summit, Putin stated that relations between Russia and South Africa "are based on the principles of strategic partnership, and cooperation between our countries has become richer and more diverse." He pointed out that "a multi-level political dialogue has been established between the two countries, alongside the continued development of commercial and economic relations," highlighting that "in 2022, trade showed a good growth rate of 16.4%," and described its value, which reached 1.3 billion dollars, as "a respectable indicator." Among the promising areas for cooperation, Putin specifically mentioned energy, industry, agriculture, science, and innovation. He announced that Russia has tripled the number of scholarships for South African students for the 2023-2024 academic year, with around 100 scholarships available. He expressed confidence that the BRICS summit will proceed excellently and promised that Russia would do everything it could to support South Africa, which is chairing the group this year. For his part, Ramaphosa thanked Russia for its assistance in organizing the upcoming BRICS summit and highly appreciated the participation of Russian representatives in preparing for the event. The South African leader also described his Russian counterpart as "a friendly person."