Russian Consulate in Cape Town

❗️Please be informed that the Consulate General will be closed from December 30 to January 8 (inclusive) due to public holidays. Happy New Year! 🆘Emergency contact number: +082-374-05-18

❗️Уважаемые соотечественники, Обращаем Ваше внимание, что в связи с государственными праздниками Генеральное консульство будет закрытос 30 декабря по 8 января включительно. С наступающим Новым годом! 🆘Телефон для экстренной связи: +082-374-05-18

🌐 On December 26, the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council Meeting was held in the Leningrad Region. 💬President Putin: I am delighted to welcome you all at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council Meeting. <...> This year marks the tenth anniversary of signing the Treaty on Establishing the Eurasian Economic Union. In May, Moscow hosted a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, dedicated to this anniversary date. Our association has asserted itself as an independent and self-sufficient centre of an emerging multipolar world, and it continues to develop dynamically. The Eurasian Economic Union’s activities help expand trade and investment exchanges, boost business contacts and deepen cooperation ties. Most importantly, integration collaboration brings real benefits to every member of our association. It helps facilitate stable and sustained economic growth in the five member states and in the entire Eurasian region. This improves living standards of our countries’ citizens and their well-being. 🇷🇺 Russia values mutually beneficial multi-faceted cooperation with #EAEU partners, and we are sincerely interested in invigorating joint work to comprehensively strengthen our integration association. I am convinced that all colleagues, who are present here, share this commitment. I therefore hope that our meeting will be productive and truly business-like. Read in full

🌎Members of APEC are showing interest in strengthening cooperation with BRICS, a leading multilateral platform in the emerging polycentric world. 🇹🇭Thailand has decided to become a partner of BRICS, responding to the invitation extended by Russia, which is holding the presidency of the group in 2024. 🤝#RussianMFA#BRICS2024

🇷🇺Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson summarises results of Russia's BRICS chairmanship 💬"The year of the Russian BRICS chairmanship was an important step towards strengthening coordination in the international arena on issues of global governance and the financial system [...]. We have laid the foundation for further consolidation of the association, expanding interaction with partner states and countries of the global South and East. Practical implementation of the initiatives of the Russian Chairmanship will serve to strengthen cooperation and effectively address global challenges" 👉🏻Read in full #RussianMFA#BRICS

🎙Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with '60 Minutes' television programme (December 25, 2024) 💬Sergey Lavrov: We have not had any illusions about the prospects [of 2025]. Resolving the Ukraine crisis doesn’t have any prospects, either. It has long been clear to everyone holding unbiased positions that it can be settled only in the context of agreements on lasting security and stability in Europe, which would take into account the interests of the Russian Federation and the legitimate interests of all other countries. <...> President Putin has repeatedly stressed that we never walk away from talks. We need to see serious, concrete proposals. When we have them, we will decide on how to respond to them based on our national interests, the goals of the special military operation, and President Vladimir Putin’s June 14 speech at the Foreign Ministry. Other key points • The prevailing discourse we are hearing both in the West and in Ukraine today is about a truce and only truce. It is about buying time to allow the Kiev regime to regain strength, with the help of the West, and resume its attempts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, acting on their Western bosses’ instructions. President Vladimir Putin has mentioned this repeatedly – during the Direct Line, at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting, and at the Russia Calling! investment forum. We will not be satisfied with a truce. We need reliable and legally binding agreements aimed at eliminating the root causes of the conflict, addressing problems such as common security in Europe, NATO expansion, the European Union’s recent decision to become an appendage of the North Atlantic bloc, in fact, erasing all differences between these organisations, and above all, upholding the rights of the people living in these territories who have supported reunification with the Russian Federation. • We have never initiated a discussion regarding what should be done with nuclear weapons and whether they can be used. On the contrary, it was at Russia's initiative that in 2021, first at the level of Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, and subsequently among the leaders of the entire G5 nuclear-armed states – the permanent members of the Security Council – the 1987 Gorbachev-Reagan principle was reaffirmed: there can be no victors in a nuclear war, thus it should never be instigated. This was a Russian initiative. We are not interested in escalating the issue of nuclear weapons usage risks. We firmly adhere to the principle I mentioned earlier: there can be no victors in a nuclear war. • Regarding the incessant terrorist acts perpetrated by the Kiev regime, which deliberately targets purely civilian structures such as residential buildings, hospitals, clinics, shops, and places where people congregate and relax – this is outrageous. It is a blatant violation of all anti-terrorism conventions and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. We express our condemnation, although regrettably, almost no one in the West and none of the leaders of international organisations, including the #UN, the #OSCE, #UNESCO, and others, join us in this denunciation. Naturally, we do not stop there. We regularly disseminate information and present relevant videos illustrating our efforts to dismantle facilities directly associated with the preparation and execution of activities by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. ❗️We caution that any continuation of this path will be met with increasingly decisive responses on our part. Read in full

🔴#LIVE: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to the '60 Minutes' TV programme (Rossiya-1) 🔴Russia’s MFA website

📽️On December 23, 2024, the Consulate General of Russia in Cape Town organized a memorable event for the local community, featuring a special screening of the film "Russia’s History in Space,"directed by Andrei Lobanov. 🌌The event, held at the IZIKO Planetarium, was attended by an enthusiastic group of children from the Russian community, along with young participants from Gugulethu Township, the Kraaifontein Roar and Treatment Centre, and Christ Alive Ministries. 📝The screening of the film, which highlights the rich history of Russia's contributions to space exploration, was followed by an engaging and educational quiz prepared by the staff of the Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium. The quiz, covering topics such as the first Russian cosmonauts, space satellites, and the animals that courageously traveled into space, provided the children with an exciting opportunity to deepen their knowledge and better appreciate Russia’s monumental achievements in space exploration. 🪐This event, filled with wonder and excitement,offered the young audience a chance to immerse themselves in the vastness of the cosmos and the extraordinary accomplishments of humanity in the realm of space exploration. 🧑‍🚀Following the film and quiz, the children were invited to visit the "Universe of BRICS" exhibition, a generous gift from Russian cosmonauts to the Cape Town Planetarium. The exhibition, which showcases the beauty and mystery of the universe, offered a unique opportunity for the children to learn more about space through captivating visuals and informative displays. 🚀They also took photos with the iconic image of Yuri Gagarin displayed at the entrance of the planetarium. This moment of joy and pride allowed the young participants to connect with the legacy of the first human to journey into space and feel a sense of shared history with the great explorers of the cosmos. 🇷🇺🇿🇦The event was not only an educational experience but also a celebration of the strong cultural ties between Russia and South Africa. It provided a unique opportunity for children from various backgrounds to come together, share in the excitement of space exploration and create lasting memories. 🤝The Consulate General of Russia in Cape Town remains committed to promoting cultural and educational exchanges through initiatives like this one, bringing joy and inspiration to the local community while celebrating Russia's rich history and its significant contributions to global space exploration. #RussiaSouthAfrica#RussianMFA

🎙🇷🇺 Key takeaways from Russian President Vladimir #Putin’s interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin: 🔹 Russia and the United States can normalize relations upon the presence of wish, which Moscow has never abandoned; 🔹Russia is ready to build relations, but not to the detriment of its interests; 🔹The West escalates the situation, and Russia will always respond to any challenge; 🔹Putin does not believe that a third world war is ongoing: “You don’t have to frighten anyone”; By @tassagency_en #Putin#Russia#UnitedStates#topical

🌲☃️Winter fairy tale: Moscow and St. Petersburg are ready for the New Year The cities have been decorated with New Year's decorations in anticipation of big day, which creates a fairy-tale atmosphere, with the New Year's lights in St. Petersburg on the main Christmas tree being turned on. By @Sputnik_Int #Moscow#SaintPetersburg#NewYear

#KievRegimeCrimes ⚡️Human Rights Violations and Killings of Civilians by Ukraine's Troops and Nationalist Organisations in July-August 2024report was prepared and published recently for public. It includes facts of crimes committed by the Kiev regime in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Kherson and Bryansk regions recorded between July 1 and August 31, 2024: • The armed forces and nationalist formations of Ukraine continued to destroy civilian infrastructure in settlements of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and commit war crimes against civilians. Peaceful inhabitants died under strikes of heavy NATO-supplied weapons. Many of civilians sustained serious injuries and were maimed. Targeted drone attacks on peaceful people and civilian objects have become the new normal for the Ukrainian military. • In Kherson region Ukraine’s army mounted more than 25 massive attacks, firing over 1,500 artillery shells at civilian infrastructure facilities. As a result, 50 people sustained varying degrees of injuries. • The Ukrainian nationalists mounted 69 targeted attacks against civilian infrastructure and peaceful inhabitants of the Bryansk region. Unlike to previous months, their attacks have become systematic. As a result, significant damage was inflicted to the housing stock, vehicles and peaceful energy facilities of the region. The most egregious crimes were onslaughts against populated areas, which injured and maimed local residents. *** ☝️ The situation regarding the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate was emphasized separately: in August, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) adopted a law banning the canonical church in the country, after which the Presidential Council appealed to the world leaders of traditional religious denominations to protect the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, its clergy and flock from persecution. *** 👉Read the report in full to learn about human rights violations and killings of civilians by Ukraine's troops and nationalist organisations in July-August 2024.

⚡️Comment by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Kiev regime’s terrorist attack on Kazan 💬 On the morning of December 21, the neo-Nazi Kiev regime committed another terrorist act by cynically attacking residential blocks and purely civilian infrastructure in Kazan with drones. A total of eight fixed-wing drones were used, three of which had been downed by air defences and another three jammed by the EW systems. Two UAVs flew into the 37-storey 'Lazurnye Nebesa' (Azure Skies) apartment complex, damaging the building. Two more apartment buildings were damaged, a fire that broke out in one of them has been contained. The damage is being assessed. According to preliminary reports, there are no casualties. Kazan’s authorities are providing the residents with necessary assistance. It has been established that Bandera followers also targeted an industrial enterprise which did not sustain any damage. Kiev is venting out its impotent rage for tangible military defeats on the peaceful population of Russia. The strike on the capital of Tatarstan is, in a way, the Kiev regime's 'revenge' for the successful BRICS Summit held in October this year, which demonstrated the power and influence of this Group in the world, as well as an attempt to intimidate the population of one of the dynamically developing regions of our country. It is no coincidence that all Ukrainian media and Telegram channels post images from Kazan with sadistic pleasure, accompanying them with lewd verbal effusions. 👉 This only shows the inhumane essence of the regime of the ‘overdue president.’ We are outraged by the demonstrative hypocritical silence of the collective West and its mass media which immediately react to any extremist outbreak, and even more so to terrorist attacks in various parts of the world but pretend as if nothing is happening when it comes to Russia. We urge the international community once again to give a tough assessment of the criminal acts by Zelensky’s junta. ❗️There is no justification for terrorism. It cannot be ignored. It deserves condemnation and zero tolerance.