South Africa Republic President calls relations with Russia ‘strategic’

PRETORIA, September 16. /TASS/. South African President Jacob Zuma has characterized ties with Russia as strategic relationship, covering economic and defence spheres. Broadening of bilateral cooperation was in the focus of the talks during President Zuma's working visit to Russia in May 2015, when he attended celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. "The visit was guided by South Africa’s bilateral relations with Russia, which are informed by political, economic, social, defence and security cooperation and all the relevant legal instruments and mechanisms that affirm the strategic relationship between the two countries," the president said, answering the questions of the opposition on Wednesday. "We agreed on the need to intensify cooperation in various areas," Zuma said. Answering the question about the total cost of the visit, the president told that he was accompanied by 79 officials from the Presidency and other departments. Air travel, the accommodation of the entire delegation and ground transport costs were R957,000 ($71,000). Read more