Русский
Vladimir Putin has met with Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa at the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
This is what they had to say:
Putin:
“We are delighted to welcome you all to Kazan, Russia. We are grateful for your decision to take part in the BRICS Summit. This year, Russia assumed the BRICS chairmanship, taking over from South Africa, and we have built our work taking into account the results achieved at the Johannesburg summit. Our focus has been on the seamless integration of new participants into the multi-level architecture of BRICS. In close contact with our South African friends, we have worked on coordinating the modalities for establishing the partner state status.
The relevant agencies of our countries collaborated in the financial sector to expand the use of national currencies in mutual settlements and to create an independent payment system.
Our bilateral relations are based on the principles of a comprehensive strategic partnership, equality, and mutual respect. Our political dialogue is progressing, and our foreign policy departments and security councils are actively communicating. Interparliamentary cooperation has been established.
Trade and economic ties between Russia and South Africa are generally positive. Following a brief dip, mutual trade volumes have started to increase, rising by 3% in January-August 2024. Of course, we need to work jointly on some aspects in order to expand and diversify mutual trade and investment. Promising spheres of cooperation include energy, industry, agriculture, science, and innovation.
Russia and South Africa closely coordinate their efforts on the international stage to establish a fair multipolar world order. Russia attaches special significance to strengthening relations with African countries. Collaborative work is underway to implement joint agreements approved at the Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg, notably a declaration and an action plan until 2026.
We look forward to hosting the head of your foreign policy agency in Sochi for the first ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, scheduled for November 9–10.”
Ramaphosa:
“Thank you very much. It’s a real pleasure to be here in Kazan, in Russia. We’d like to congratulate you for hosting and being the president of BRICS, having taken over from us. As South Africa, we are sure that you will be able to chair our meeting and our summit so that BRICS, as the enlarged BRICS body, will continue growing from strength to strength.
We also do look forward to participating with all other countries to deal with matters that are of such great importance in geopolitical terms and everything that is happening around the world, but also on matters that have to do with trade, climate change, peace, and security as well. So, we are delighted indeed to be here.
We’re also delighted to be here to brief you and others on the journey that we have embarked upon as South Africa. We’ve formed a government of national unity following our elections in May of this year. I briefed you on the telephone, but we will have time to talk more about that and inform you how the whole process of governing South Africa with a number of other parties is evolving as we have sought to unite the country and stabilize the country politically. And we’re rather pleased that with your support in every respect we’ve been able to reach this point in the history of our country.
So, we continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend, who supported us right from the beginning, from the days of our struggle against apartheid right through to now. So, we’re really delighted to be here and to know that we are going to have important discussions here in Kazan within the BRICS family. So, thank you very much for welcoming us. Thank you.”
Analysis & Implications
Neither gave much away during their discussions, although Putin was only generally satisfied with the current trade levels. Current 2024 bilateral trade is running at about US$450 million in terms of South African exports to Russia and at about US$15 billion in terms of Russian exports. Russia exports mainly energy products, and South Africa mainly agricultural produce.
South Africa is however going through a period of some political change, with the ANC, a pro-Russian political party, losing majority power for the first time in the May elections this year. A coalition government is now in place, with South Africa now facing political pressure to turn to the West. Ramaphosa faces a tough task in uniting the ANC-Democratic Alliance coalition, and this may impact South Africa’s foreign policy.
There are ongoing projects, such as Russia’s involvement in reenergising South Africa’s gas industry, and other mining projects.
At present, while South Africa absorbs its political differences, the status quo in terms of development is likely to be maintained with future growth satisfactory rather than spectacular.
Further Reading
