Pretoria – South Africa has raised a toast to the prosperity of the Government and the people of the Russian Federation, as well as the friendship between the two nations at an event to mark Russia National Day in Pretoria, on Wednesday.
The Russian Federation will celebrate its National Day on 12 June.
“It is a pleasure and great honour for me to convey to you, our warmest greetings and congratulations to the Government and the people of the Russian Federation on the celebration of your national day,” said Nebo Legoabe, Deputy Director General at the Department of Communications and DCEO Intergovernmental Coordination and Stakeholder Management at GCIS, who was representing the Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi, at the event.
She said this year marked the 22nd anniversary of bilateral relations between South Africa and the Russian Federation – relations that have developed well since their establishment in the early nineties.
“South Africa continues to value its strategic partnership with Russia, the profile and content of which has been enhanced by high level engagements, especially President [Vladimir] Putin’s Working Visit to Durban in March 2013 and President [Jacob] Zuma’s Working Visit to Sochi in May 2013 and his attendance of the G20 Summit in St Petersburg in September 2013.
“More importantly, the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed in Durban during President Putin’s Working Visit to South Africa in March 2013, marked an important milestone towards the deepening of our strategic partnership for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples,” said Deputy Director General Legoabe.
The Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation remained a critical vehicle for deepening bilateral relations and the role of the South Africa-Russia Business Council and the facilitation of business-to-business joint ventures was critical in ensuring that available trade and investment opportunities in both countries were maximised.
She said South Africa and Russia continued to build on areas of cooperation within the context of the BRICS grouping, together with Brazil, China and India.
“I am sure that both our countries are looking forward to continuing this work at next month’s BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, and further contributing to the role that our BRICS countries can make within the global community,” she said.
Deputy Director General Legoabe added that South Africa and the Russian Federation were committed to ensuring that decisions taken at the United Nations and other multilateral fora continue to promote global peace, security and sustainable development.
She said the two countries work closely in organisations such as the G20 and United Nations, amongst others, on key global issues including the post-2015 Development Agenda and climate change.
“Your continued support on the African Renaissance and the African Agenda projects remains critical and South Africa looks forward to continuing our partnership in contributing to making our continent Africa prosperous, peaceful, democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and united,” she said.
South Africa congratulated the Russian Federation on successfully hosting of the Sochi Winter Olympics in February 2014 and further wished the Russian Federation well in its preparations towards hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Among the attendees at the event, held at the Sheraton Hotel, was Russian Ambassador to South Africa Mikhail Petrakov. – SAnews.gov.za
