Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was warmly received on his visit to South Africa on January 22, holding extensive discussions with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, and being received by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. In his discussions with Foreign Minister Pandor, they dealt with regional and international issues, both being supporters of a “more just, inclusive, democratic, polycentric architecture of the world order, which would be based on the main principle of the UN Charter,” as Lavrov expressed it.
The two discussed cooperation in a variety of fields. According to Lavrov, they are working to intensify preparations for the 17th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation which will be held in Moscow. There they will discuss cooperative efforts in energy, including nuclear, scientific and technological cooperation, transportation and other infrastructure, and the peaceful exploration of space. They also discussed the development of the BRICS which is under South African chairmanship this year, and made preparations for the second Russia-Africa Summit which is to be held in St. Petersburg at the end of July.
In his press conference following the meeting with Pandor, Lavrov castigated the press, which is always harping about Russia “continuing the war,” asking why they don’t question Western representatives like Borell or Stoltenberg about why they are not interested in negotiations or diplomacy for finding an end to the conflict, as Russia has been requesting.
