Russian Embassy in South Africa
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Official channel for the Russian Embassy in the Republic of South Africa 🇷🇺🇿🇦

Latest foreign policy, cultural, economic news & all things Russia-related

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🇷🇺🇿🇦 Valentina Matvienko: Russia-South Africa Interparliamentary Relations Are Friendly by Nature

Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko held talks with Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, focusing on interparliamentary cooperation between the two countries.

Valentina Matvienko noted that the visit of the South African delegation to Russia reflects the positive momentum in the development of bilateral relations.

"I am confident that this visit will contribute to further strengthening the entire spectrum of our mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of areas."


The Speaker of the Federation Council stressed that South Africa has been a reliable and time-tested partner of Russia since the days of the struggle against the apartheid regime.

"The regular contacts between Presidents
Vladimir Putin
and
Cyril Ramaphosa
demonstrate the shared commitment to further expanding our comprehensive strategic partnership."

She also recalled that this September marks the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship and Partnership between Russia and South Africa.

Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane stressed, that relations between South Africa and Russia are rooted in a long-standing historical partnership. According to the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, the current moment presents a valuable opportunity to further strengthen bilateral ties, including at the parliamentary level.

"South Africa is interested in attracting Russian investment. We will continue to promote the expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation."


Addressing the strengthening of interparliamentary ties, Valentina Matvienko highlighted the work of the Federation Council's cooperation group with the National Council of Provinces of South Africa, headed by Andrey Kutepov, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy. She proposed making greater use of videoconferencing for cooperation between relevant committees of the two parliaments and establishing contacts between young South African parliamentarians and the Chamber of Young Legislators under the Federation Council.

🤝 The two sides also discussed the development of interregional cooperation.

"Delegation exchanges at the regional level are developing actively. Last year, South African representatives visited Moscow, St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk, while Russian delegations travelled to Johannesburg. We intend to continue supporting these contacts."


The Speaker of the Federation Council also noted the close cooperation between Russian and South African parliamentarians at international parliamentary platforms, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union and within BRICS. She added that South African representatives are always welcome participants at international events hosted by Russia.

#RussiaSouthAfrica
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🇷🇺🤩 St Petersburg University Brings Russian Language and Culture to Cape Town

For three days, the historic Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town became a vibrant hub of Russian language, education, and culture as St Petersburg University (SPbU) hosted the "Russia: History. Knowledge. People" festival.

🌍 Organized jointly with the My History Foundation and supported by Russia's Ministry of Education, the festival welcomed more than 300 participants from across South Africa.

The program featured public lectures on Russia's history, culture, and international relations, presentations on studying at SPbU, Russian film screenings, an exhibition of famous artworks, a Russian song karaoke evening, a piano concert featuring Tchaikovsky, and interactive discussions on the Russian language and literature.

SPbU experts explored topics ranging from Russia's cultural diversity and traditions to the history of Russia-South Africa relations. Participants also challenged common myths about the Russian language and discovered why Russian literature, from Nabokov to the classics, continues to inspire readers around the world.

🇷🇺 Since 2023, SPbU, together with the My History Foundation and Russia's Ministry of Education, has expanded Russian-language education abroad through a network of open education centres. In 2025 alone, the university trained more than 3,500 learners across 11 countries, including South Africa, Brazil, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea.

🔉 As a reminder, SPbU continues its educational projects promoting the Russian language across Africa.

Tuition-free Russian language courses are available through SPbU's Open Education Centers in Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa.

👉 Apply here

#StudyRussian #RussiaSouthAfrica
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🇷🇺 Russian Culture Takes Center Stage in Cape Town

The "Russia: History. Knowledge. People" festival in Cape Town offered visitors far more than lectures – it was a celebration of Russian culture, music, art, and traditions.

SPbU Associate Professor Galina Zhukova performed piano works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, and other renowned Russian composers, and led a discussion following a screening of a Russian film.

Visitors explored an exhibition of reproductions of Russian classical paintings and took part in hands-on workshops, including pelmeni-making, traditional lubok-style printmaking, and matryoshka painting, guided by Cape Town artist and university lecturer Leonard Shapiro.

🎓 Festival guests also learned about opportunities to study Russian and pursue higher education at Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU). In 2025, around 300 South Africans completed SPbU's Russian language courses, while university representatives introduced scholarship opportunities, student life in Russia, and the admissions process.

For the eighth consecutive year, SPbU remains the most popular Russian university among international applicants, attracting prospective students from 140 countries.

#StudyRussian #RussianCulture #RussiaSouthAfrica
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#RussiaInArctic

🇷🇺 Russia's State Technology Corporation Rostec Completes Major Platinum and Palladium Processing Plant in the Arctic

Rostec's RT-Engineering holding has completed the main construction of a new mining and processing complex at the Chernogorskoye deposit, one of the largest industrial facilities built from scratch in Russia's Arctic permafrost region.

The plant has now entered the technical commissioning stage, with full commercial operations scheduled for late 2026.

Key highlights:
❤️ Initial processing capacity of 9 million tonnes of ore per year;
❤️ Production of up to 250,000 tonnes of copper-nickel concentrate containing platinum group metals;
❤️ Future expansion to 14 million tonnes of ore annually and up to 55 tonnes of platinum group metals per year;
❤️Resource base expected to support operations for more than 50 years.

The project incorporates gravity-flotation technology for mineral extraction and dry tailings storage, reducing environmental impact by avoiding conventional liquid tailings ponds.

💬 According to Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov, the project was completed despite Arctic conditions, logistical challenges, and the need to redesign the facility and replace equipment due to sanctions. Most construction materials and equipment were delivered year-round via the Northern Sea Route.

#MadeInRussia
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#RussiaWithAfrica

🌾 Russia Expands Wheat Exports to Africa

Russia continues to strengthen its role in supporting Africa's food security through reliable grain supplies.

This month, the Leningrad Region resumed wheat exports to Algeria, shipping 29,000 tonnes through Baltic Sea ports after a temporary pause. The export batch underwent comprehensive quality and safety inspections, including laboratory testing, phytosanitary control, and fumigation before shipment.

The resumption follows 31,500 tonnes of Russian wheat exported to Algeria via Baltic ports in 2024 and reflects sustained demand for Russian grain and confidence in Russia's quality control standards.

During the first four months of 2026, grain products shipped from the ports of the Leningrad Region were exported to nine African countries: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Cameroon, Libya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Angola, and the Republic of the Congo.

🇷🇺🌍 In total, Russia's wheat exports to Sub-Saharan Africa reached a record 6.7 million tonnes in the 2025/26 agricultural season – 3% higher than the previous season and 34% above the five-year average, according to Agroexport.

By expanding export routes and diversifying destinations, Russia is reinforcing its position as a reliable agricultural partner, helping enhance food security and supporting sustainable development across Africa.

#RussiaAfrica #FoodSecurity
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#KievRegimeCrimes

⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:

💬 Over the past week, Ukrainian militants carried out an average of 850 strikes per day against civilian sites in Russia. More than 310 civilians were killed or injured during the same period.

The militants launched a series of deliberate terrorist attacks targeting civilians and seeking to make daily life unbearable. Passenger transport, including scheduled buses, was repeatedly attacked, along with residential buildings and social and energy infrastructure.

The highest numbers of civilian casualties were recorded in the Belgorod Region, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions.

On July 6-12, Ukrainian neo-Nazi attacks resulted in the deaths of 40 civilians, including one minor, and injuries to 272 others, including 13 children.

In total, Ukrainian armed formations fired at least 5,935 rounds of ammunition at civilian sites on Russian territory.
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⚡️ Предупреждение для российских граждан, находящихся в странах Персидского залива (15 июля 2026 года)

В связи с эскалацией боевых действий в регионе Персидского залива призываем российских граждан соблюдать максимальную осторожность, принимать дополнительные меры личной безопасности, поддерживать связь с туроператорами и авиаперевозчиками, внимательно следить за оповещениями / предупреждениями местных властей, сообщениями МИД и загранпредставительств России.

❗️ Настоятельно рекомендуем избегать потенциально опасных районов, не приближаться к военным объектам и критической инфраструктуре; при угрозах ударов ракет/БПЛА незамедлительно укрыться в безопасных местах, воздерживаться от распространения в соцсетях кадров работы ПВО и последствий атак – с учётом административной / уголовной ответственности в странах региона.
#RussiaAfrica #RussiaWithAfrica

🇷🇺 Moscow's Exports to Africa Double in Volume

African countries are among the most promising destinations for Moscow's high-tech industrial exports, according to Moscow Deputy Mayor for Transport and Industry Maksim Liksutov.

"In 2025, industrial exports to the continent nearly doubled, increasing by 89.5% compared with 2024," he said, noting that Moscow accounts for 36.7% of Russia's total industrial exports.


According to Moscow Government Minister and Head of the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy Anatoly Garbuzov, the leading export destinations were Algeria, Egypt, the DRC, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

Key export sectors include:

▶️Pharmaceuticals and medical products;
▶️Equipment for the fuel and energy industry;
▶️Machinery and technologies for transport and telecommunications infrastructure.

🇷🇺🤝🌍 Russia continues to expand practical cooperation with African partners, offering advanced industrial technologies alongside its well-established role as a reliable supplier of grain, fertilizers, and energy solutions, contributing to the continent's food and energy security.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🚀 On July 15, 1975, one of the most iconic international space projects – the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (#ASTP) of the Soviet Soyuz-19 and American Apollo spacecraft, began with their launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and Cape Canaveral.

The Soviet crew comprised Alexey Leonov and Valery Kubasov. The Apollo carried astronauts Thomas Stafford, Deke Slayton and Vance Brand.

It was the first joint space mission of the Soviet Union and the United States.

🕰 At 7 pm Moscow Time on July 17, 1975, the Soviet and US spacecraft docked with each other in Earth orbit.

🤝 The historic handshake of the two crew commanders – Alexey Leonov and Thomas Stafford – was streamed live across the planet and has become one of the most recognisable symbols of Soviet-US rapprochement.

The main tasks of the mission were:
• testing the universal docking system;
• testing joint space control and crew interaction;
• creating technologies for future space rescues in emergencies;
• conducting scientific experiments and medical research.

One of the most complicated engineering tasks was the creation of an interoperable docking system. The engineers of the Soviet OKB-1 design bureau (RSC Energia) created the Androgynous Peripheral Attach System (APAS), which allowed either spacecraft to be active or passive during docking.

A docking module was built for visits between the spacecraft, because Soyuz used a regular nitrogen-oxygen mixture at sea-level pressure, while Apollo used pure oxygen at low pressure. The module acted as an airlock and pressure-equalizer.

🚀 The spacecraft remained joined in space for 46 hours and 36 minutes. The crews visited each other, conducted joint scientific experiments, made joint television reports, filming and photography, as well as held the first ever international press conference in space.

The crews maintained friendly relations for years after their historic mission. The friendship between Alexey Leonov and Thomas Stafford was particularly warm. They regularly met and kept in touch until their death.

The Soyuz-Apollo mission was not only a remarkable technical achievement but also an important symbol of the unifying force of science and space exploration even during the Cold War.

☝️ That flight set the stage for future international projects, namely the Mir-Shuttle programme and the International Space Station, where many countries have been working together for over 25 years.

#SoyuzApollo #RussiaUS
⚡️Key takeaways from Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova's interview with Vesti:

▫️Russia and Ukraine are currently in talks on future prisoner-of-war exchanges;

▫️ Russian society has united in its desire to support veterans of the special military operation and that gives soldiers strength;

▫️ Human rights commissioners will hold a meeting this fall, where they will discuss support for veterans of the special military operation and their families;

❗️The Kiev regime is now delivering daily strikes on playgrounds and buses with children;

▫️ The ombudswoman office is recording all of these incidents and informing international organizations about them;

▫️ International human rights organizations are interested in cooperating with Russia;

▫️ Human rights commissioners are a "major shield protecting human rights" in Russia;

▫️ The Russian human rights commissioner's office receives 415,000 appeals from citizens annually;
 
▫️ At the moment, the most urgent issue of citizens’ appeals is the special military operation.
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