🇷🇺🇿🇦 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