KAZAN: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday he considered Moscow a “valued ally” and friend during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan.
Leaders from two dozen BRICS nations and other countries are expected to visit Russia for the three-day summit, as Putin seeks to build an alliance of nations aimed at challenging what he calls the West’s “hegemony” on the global stage.
Speaking at the three-day summit, Ramaphosa highlighted the historical relationship between South Africa and Russia, noting that Moscow had supported South Africa “from the days of our struggle against Apartheid, right through to now.”
Putin, in response, praised the strategic partnership between the two nations, emphasizing that their relationship is built on “equality and mutual respect.” He also expressed Russia’s commitment to deepening ties with African countries, a key focus of Moscow’s foreign policy as it seeks to expand influence across the continent.
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This year’s BRICS summit, hosted in Kazan, Russia, sees participation from leaders of two dozen countries.
South Africa, which hosted the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg, has maintained a position of neutrality on Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, abstaining from United Nations resolutions condemning the invasion.
However, South Africa has called for peace and led an African “peace mission” to both Russia and Ukraine in 2023 in an effort to mediate an end to the ongoing conflict.
Putin did not attend the Johannesburg summit in person, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued a warrant for his arrest. South Africa, as a member of the ICC, would have been obliged to detain him if he were present.
