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Vladimir Putin had a meeting with President of South Africa Jacob Zuma. The two presidents discussed the Russian-South African strategic partnership’s further development and strengthening ties on the international stage.
Mr Putin and Mr Zuma put particular emphasis on diversifying trade and economic cooperation, developing investment ties, and expanding humanitarian contacts.
The two presidents also exchanged views on a number of international issues and looked at cooperation within multilateral organisations and regional integration groups.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends, let me wish you a warm welcome to Ufa and to Russia.
I would like to start by saying once again that South Africa is Russia’s major partner in Africa, a reliable and strategic partner. We have constructive cooperation in all areas, in our bilateral relations, and in our work in international organisations such as the UN, BRICS, WTO, and the IAEA.
Mr Zuma, I want to thank you for supporting the development of Russia’s contacts with organisations such as the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, in which South Africa unquestionably plays a key role.
I am very pleased to have the chance to meet with you on the sidelines of the BRICS summit to discuss our bilateral relations.
President of South Africa Jacob Zuma: Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Mr President. Thank you for welcoming us so warm in a very beautiful city of Ufa. We are very happy to be here. I would like to congratulate you for hosting the BRICS meeting here. We are very happy to attend the BRICS in the Russian Federation.
We also agree, we think it is an appropriate theme of this BRICS, BRICS Partnership: A Powerful Factor in the Global Development. I think it is absolutely appropriate.
And I would like to echo the words that South Africa is indeed a true friend of the Russian Federation and it remains so, and we are happy to have that kind of relationship with your country.
We are happy to have this meeting on the sidelines of BRICS so that we could discuss our bilateral issues, I agree with you. We are very happy to have this opportunity. We are also happy with the process of preparing the BRICS because there was very good quality of working together with that delegation, and we agreed on all the important aspects that have formed the agenda of the meeting.
So, we are very happy and I think BRICS will go well.
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July 8, 2015