South Africa’s Ramaphosa Thanks Putin for a Russia-Africa Summit Where Real Ideas Are Discussed

Aug. 1, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—At the close of the Russia-Africa Summit on July 28, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Russian President Vladimir Putin, both flanked by their top ministers, met in an open meeting, as Putin did with all the African guest leaders. Ramaphosa’s remarks indicate the depth of discussion at the conference, the deep commitment, and the worked-out perspective to eliminate colonialism and replace it with growth, which the smug West, whose media criticized the conference, simply can’t appreciate.

Ramaphosa said to Putin,

“Thank you for hosting the conference. We believe it was successful, most successful. The outcome was very, very good, the declaration was well negotiated and well crafted. It represented the views that various countries that were here represented and your views represented....

“What is particularly pleasing is that Russia conducts its relationship with Africa at a strategic level, and it conducts it with a great deal of respect and recognition of the sovereignty of African states....

“At the investment level, there is quite a number of Russian companies that have invested in the South African market, as there are companies from South Africa that are also investing in the Russian market.

“At the trade level, obviously, we would like to see more growth in exchanges of trade. Cooperation should now be much broader in the energy sector. Currently, South Africa is going through an energy crisis, and we could learn a lot and do a lot together with Russia on the energy side.

“On the science and technology side, there is a great deal that we can learn from each other. In fact, we can learn a lot from you. We want to look at areas like space. We have a space institute in South Africa. You have advanced a great deal in space, and that is one area that we could cooperate where there can be sharing of skills....”

Ramaphosa also raised their cooperation in fighting COVID-19, and Russia’s aid to South Africa in education.

Altogether, his remarks were the diametric opposite of his criticism of French President Macron and the West in general at Macron’s June 22-23 get-together in Paris.