Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma arrived in Sochi, Russia, on Wednesday for a working visit to review bilateral relations and exchange views on critical regional and global issues with President Vladimir Putin.
Cabinet ministers, including Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister of Tourism, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, Minister of State Security, Siyabonga Cwele, Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa and Minister of Energy, Dipuo Peters, have accompanied Zuma.
According to the Presidency, the working visit is guided by all relevant legal instruments and mechanisms such as the Declaration of Strategic Partnership between South Africa and Russia signed in March 2013, the Protocol on Political Consultations signed in 1994, the Declaration of Principles on Friendly Relations and Partnership signed in 1999, the Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) signed in 1999, the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation established in 2002 and the Treaty of Friendship and Partnership signed in 2006.
During Putin’s visit to South Africa in March, eight agreements in the fields of education, energy, defence, fisheries, mineral resources, transport and science and technology were signed.
In addition, a number of business to business contracts were signed between South African and Russian companies.
The Presidency said bilateral trade and investment have grown substantially in 2012. The signing of these agreements provides an opportunity to further expand trade and investment and skills and technology exchange between the two countries. – SAnews.gov.za
