9 December 2005
SA and Russia have concluded talks aimed at consolidating relations between the countries and boosting development in South Africa and Africa as a whole.
As a member of the G8 group of developed nations and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Russia is seen as a strategic partner for South Africa.
Last Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sue van der Merwe held political and economic discussions with her Russian Federation counterpart, Alexander Saltanov.
Van der Merwe told journalists after the meeting that the two had shared ideas on the reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, and matters of disarmament.
"We also had discussion on next year's presidency of the G8, to be held by the Russian Federation, regarding our expectations from them.
"We also talked about the Middle East, with important work going on there by the Russia Federation.
"We briefed [Saltanov] on the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) and work done by South Africa on the continent," Van der Merwe added.
Saltanov said his country wanted to help Africa move towards progressive development, particularly in science and technology. "We are ready for practical steps towards enlarging our economies," he said.
Relations between South Africa and Russia are governed by the Intergovernmental Trade and Economic Committee (Itec), which held its fifth session in Moscow in October.
Itec, which regulates political, trade and economic ties between the two countries, is made up of seven joint subcommittees on trade, investment and banking; minerals and energy; transport; health and education; agriculture; water affairs and forestry; and science and technology.
The Russian Federation has a policy of preferential trade with African states, and consistently contributes to alleviating the continent's debt burden. The country wrote off US$11.2-billion (R71-billion) in African debt between 1998 and 2002, and a further $107.9-million (R684.8-million) by 2004 was. Russia has also assumed an obligation to write off more than $1-billion (R6.4-billion) of Ethiopian debt to the Paris Club.
Van der Merwe and Saltanov also discussed the recently concluded fourth session of the Pan-African Parliament, South Africa's preparations for the African Peer Review Mechanism, and Russian support for African peacekeeping initiatives.
Some 230 Russian service and security personnel are involved in UN peacekeeping operations in Africa, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Western Sahara, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The Russian government is also involved in the implementation of international programmes of strengthening African peacekeeping potential, including training African peacekeepers and post-conflict reconstruction programmes.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
