Russian Consulate in Cape Town

🇷🇺🇸🇦 On September 8 and 9, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was on a working visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was received by Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaMohammed bin Salman Al Saud and had a meeting with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The participants in the talks had a detailed discussion on the key avenues for further developing of the traditionally friendly Russian-Saudi relations in all their aspects with a focus on the practical implementation of the agreements reached following President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2023. 📈 The two Sides expressed their shared interest in promoting consistent efforts to expand their trade and economic cooperation, step up investment collaboration, including the implementation of current and future projects, and promoting closer cultural, humanitarian, scientific and technological ties. They praised the existing level of cooperation in the OPEC+ format and stressed that the recently approved decisions testified to the growing stability and independence of this unique coordinating mechanism used by the oil exporting countries, as well as its effectiveness and relevance in terms of balancing supply and demand on the global energy market. They paid special attention to current regional issues, including prospects for the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in light of the ongoing unprecedented escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip, as well as the state of affairs in Yemen, Sudan, and Syria. They noted that Moscow and Riyadh shared convergent approaches in favour of resolving of the persisting Middle East crises as quickly as possible and solely by political and diplomatic methods taking into account the interests of all the parties involved and within a generally recognised international legal framework in keeping with the principles of the UN Charter. 🤝 They reaffirmed the shared commitment by Russia and Saudi Arabia to maintain regular political dialogue and coordination on all aspects of the bilateral and global agenda. #RussiaSaudiArabia

🎙 Excerpt from the interview with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for 'Bridges to the East' documentary, Moscow (August 31, 2024) ❓ Question: You mentioned the Kursk region earlier. I’d be remiss not to ask you a question about ongoing developments. You pointed out not long ago that Zelensky would have never dared invade the Kursk Region without orders from the United States. What is the West trying to accomplish by doing what it is doing and by flooding Ukraine nonstop with more weapons and mercenaries? There are media reports where Zelensky may be possibly replaced by someone else. If that happens, will talks with Kiev remain on the table? 💬 Sergey Lavrov: I find it hard to tell what their exact plan was, because our Western colleagues have a devious mind and they often do things their own way, but nothing ever comes of it. <...> It’s hard to figure what their goals and plans were. Political analysts are discussing this. Even Zelensky said they needed this for future prisoner swaps, so he will thus capture some prisoners and grab some square kilometres in the process. This is so naive and guileless. We do not discuss our territory with anyone. We do not hold talks over our territory. We are ready to discuss cutting short the crimes that the Kiev regime committed after the coup. It started bombing its own cities because people in these cities refused to recognise the outcomes of the coup. These people rose up against the decision of the militants who came to power and banned the Russian language in all spheres of life. These people were declared terrorists. We were ready to negotiate in order to stop this. We held talks, which resulted in signing the Minsk agreements, which, as has recently been made public, no one ever planned to act upon. All they wanted was buy time to arm the Nazi regime, which continued to choke off everything Russian, with weapons for waging war against Russia. ❗️ To protect the rights of these people, their history, the legacy of their ancestors, their language, religion, and their culture, we were compelled to recognise the DPR and the LPR and to stand up for them as they requested us to do, and in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. We supported the talks that led to the signing of the agreements between then-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich and the opposition in February 2014. The opposition tore them up the next morning and staged a bloody coup. Have those agreements been implemented, Ukraine would now be within its 1991 borders, which Zelensky dreams of. If a year later, in February 2015, the Ukrainian leadership and its backers, France and Germany, had implemented the Minsk agreements, Ukraine would have still been within its 1991 borders, though without Crimea for obvious reasons. Had Ukraine fulfilled what we agreed upon in Istanbul in April 2022 and not listened to then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who told it not to do so, it would still be within its 1991 borders, less Crimea and a significant portion of Donbass. Each time, Ukrainians were hopeless in their inability to reach and honour agreements. The West made it clear that it needed Ukraine only to hurt Russia, to annoy us, and to wage war against our country. The Western countries never had any use for these agreements. Each time the agreed-upon documents were sabotaged, Ukraine had more to lose. <...> In Istanbul, less than a month into the special military operation, reaching an agreement was easy. Ukraine didn’t want this, because it had not yet fully achieved its goal of “exhausting” Russia. <...> ❓Question: So, the subject of talks can make it back to the table provided these conditions are met? Right now, talks are off the table. We are tired of saying that the President has made this point many times. Those who are implying that Russia is “turning negotiations down” while Ukraine is ready for them should take President Putin’s advice and tell Zelensky (when he is of sound mind and lucid memory) to cancel the executive order that bans talks.

On September 3, Russian Consulate General held a movie night to commemorate the 83th anniversary of the beginning of the Siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. This fierce 872-days battle claimed lives of hundreds of thousands its residents. The guests of the iconic Labia Theatre – civil society activists, representatives of the local authorities, parliament and Consular Corps of Cape Town, Russian compatriots, media officers – were offered to watch the “Africa” movie (2021) by Russian director D.Binevskaya. It tells a touching story of a family living in a village close to the besieged city. Suffering from hunger, they try to survive. One day an unusual friendship enters their life - and helps to overcome any obstacles. In his speech, Russian Consul General in Cape Town Mr A.Malenko mentioned: “Despite the inexorable course of time, the feat of Leningraders will never be forgotten. It will remain forever in our hearts, will serve as an example of valor, perseverance, moral strength.”

On August 30, Russian “Smolny”training ship’s crew held an open day for capetonians and guests of the city. It was followed by a solemn reception on board on behalf of the ship’s command aimed at strengthening bilateral naval ties. Rear Adm. M.Nkomonde became a guest of honour at the event.

Today, Russian “Smolny” training ship arrived in the port of Cape Town. The program of the visit includes the “Smolny”’s command meeting with colleagues from the SA Main Naval Base in Simon’s Town. The ship’s arrival is aimed at strengthening naval ties between Russia and South Africa.

🗓The Battle of Kursk, one of the greatest military engagements in human history, ended on August 23, 1943 – 81 years ago. In total, the battle involved over 4 million people, over 69,000 guns and mortars, more than 13,000 tanks and self-propelled guns, and nearly 12,000 aircraft. ⚔️ The 50-day Battle of Kursk included a defensive operation (July 5-23) and a number of offensive operations (July 12-August 23) in the area of the Kursk Salient (Kursk Bulge) that formed in the centre of the Soviet-German front in the spring of 1943. The battle was aimed at breaking up a major German offensive and routing the enemy’s strategic grouping. The battle began with a German offensive, but after a week of stubborn defence, the Red Army managed to stop the enemy push. On July 12, a major tank battle involving a total of 1,200 Soviet and German tanks and assault guns took place near the village of Prokhorovka in the Belgorod Region. The German tank force lost nearly 10,000 men and over 360 tanks, with the enemy definitively cut off from the city of Kursk. On the same day, the Soviet forces launched a counter-offensive, liberating the cities of Oryol and Belgorod. The Battle of the Kursk Bulge culminated in the liberation of Kharkov on August 23, after which the Red Army launched the fighting to liberate Ukraine. 🎖 The Soviet participants in the Battle of Kursk displayed courage, tenacity, and mass heroism: over 100,000 people were awarded orders and medals; 231 people were honoured with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union; 132 formations and units were added to the Guards category; and 26 units received the designations of Oryol, Belgorod, Kharkov and Karachev in honour of the cities they had liberated. The Kursk Bulge memorial to the heroic victory of the Soviet soldiers was erected in Kursk. ❗️Today, Western military equipment is once again being destroyed on Kursk soil, while its residents show unwavering resolve in the face of Nazi aggression, this time from Ukrainian militants backed by NATO countries.

🇷🇺 August 22 is the State Flag Day in Russia, established on August 20, 1994, in accordance with Presidential Executive Order "On the State Flag Day of the Russian Federation". #OTD, we pay tribute to Russia’s official state symbol which, alongside its emblem and the national anthem, stands as a symbol of and the testimonyto the country’s sovereignty and independence, while asserting the generational continuity for our multicultural and multi-ethnic nation. The Russian tricoloured flag is over three hundred years old. Tsar Peter I is considered to be its creator: he ordered “commercial vessels of all kinds” to sail under the white-blue-red flag. However, it was only in 1896 that this flag obtained its official status, not long before Emperor Nicholas II’s coronation. ⚪️🔵🔴 While there is no official interpretation of the national flag colours, it is widely accepted that white symbolizes purity, independence and peace, blue embodies faith, loyalty and justice, while red stands for courage, might and valour. ☝️ Today, the tricoloured flag has become an integral part of our lives as a symbol of the Russian state, national unity and our people's devotion to the Fatherland, as well as the commitment to assert and promote the national interests.

❗️ ❗️ ❗️“Looking forward”: South Africa’s minister on the upcoming 10th Annual BRICS Astronomy Working Group Workshopin Russia 🌌🇷🇺🌎 On September 9-13 Representatives from BRICS countries will gather both offline and online in Russia’s Kazan to foster collaboration in astronomical research and technology within the framework of the workshop. 📌South Africa’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation recalled in an interview with Sputnik Africa the significant bilateral discussions held between South Africa and the Russian Minister of Science. Both countries then acknowledged the need to advance this collaboration, particularly in the field of space science. They agreed to explore opportunities for joint research, satellite launches, and broader cooperation in space endeavors. 💬"That is why we are looking forward to participating in the BRICS meeting, which will be in Russia because we will also use that to actually meet with our Russian counterparts to take this discussion forward,"Bonginkosi Emmanuel Blade Nzimande stated. Speaking about BRICS, the minister also highlighted that the bloc sponsors various initiatives that, among other benefits, support the involvement of young researchers. Subscribe to @sputnik_africa 🔸TikTok | Sputnik Africa🔸

⚡️Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on the incoming reports alleging that the Kiev regime is preparing provocations against the Russian Federation’s nuclear facilities 💬 According to incoming reports, the Kiev regime has launched preparations for an attack targeting the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. Russia calls on international organisations, especially the United Nations and the IAEA, to immediately condemn the provocations by the Kiev regime and take action to prevent any threat that would compromise nuclear safety and security of the Kursk NPP, which could lead to a major man-made disaster in Europe. Moreover, by taking such actions, Kiev not only poses a direct and immediate threat to nuclear stations, but also undermines the IAEA’s tenets regarding nuclear safety and security as articulated by the agency’s head, Rafael Grossi, in 2022. ❗️The international community must recognise the danger the neo-Nazi Kiev regime poses to the European continent. Together, we must demonstrate firmness and resolve to thwart any attempts to intimidate and terrorise entire regions and the international community at large.

⚡️ Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s comment on events around Ukraine 💬 The criminal and illegitimate Zelensky regime continues to reveal its ture neo-Nazi nature to the world. In light of the situation in Donbass, which is a failure for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Ukrainian authorities have launched a terrorist attack on the border areas of the Kursk Region. Kiev openly stated that this action was intended to improve their negotiating position in the long term, as unashamedly admitted by Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of Zelensky’s Office, on August 8. According to the regional administration, the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ artillery fire killed 12 civilians, including an ambulance crew and a pregnant woman, and injured over 120 people, including 10 children. On the morning of August 6, Ukrainian gunmen fired at the Gornal Belogorsk St Nicholas Monastery from a tank during a service. <…> ☝️ Despite these barbaric methods, the Zelensky regime has failed to achieve its main goal of diverting the attention of the Russian armed forces from Donbass and Sloboda Ukraine. On August 11, Ukrainian neo-Nazis, sensing that their Western curators had given them the carte blanche for bandit raids into Russian regions, attacked the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant using a kamikaze drone from Nikopol in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, which is controlled by Kiev. As a result, a fire broke out in the area where the cooling towers of the plant are located. Fortunately, it was contained in time, and the threat of an accident was eliminated. ⚠️ This act of nuclear terrorism has once again shown the danger that the Zelensky regime, incited by the West to new criminal adventures, the continuous supply of deadly weapons to Kiev, and its regular financial support pose to the entire world. Read in full

🎙Briefing by Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik on the crimes committed by the Kiev regime. 📍Moscow, August 14, 2024 Key talking points: • In the context of terrorist foray organised by the Kiev regime in the Kursk region, we intend to present a compendium that we have prepared in two languages that contain statistic data and information about the bloody actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the use of certain types of weapons. It was the Kiev regime that started using all of this to commit intentional and deliberate crimes against civilians. Unmanned aerial vehicles today are the second type of weapon after artillery being used most frequently by the Kiev regime to kill and aim civilians in the Russian regions adjacent to the front line. • Since the beginning of 2024, the attacks of Ukrainian UAVs resulted in 723 people being injured and according to our data 124 were killed. In July alone Ukrainian drone operators were responsible for at least 186 victims among civilians – 170 injured, 16 killed. In August, 73 people have become victims and 10 were killed. • Another trend that is growing exponentially in the latest months is the hunt of Nazi drones for civilian and public transport. Ukrainian drones circle over highways, track down civilian cars and other types of public transport. • As for the drones that being used by Ukrainian militants to attack civilian facilities, our experts have found inside of them spare parts produced in the US, Canada and Sweden, as well as some other Western states. They did their best to provide a madman that despises norms of international humanitarian law with new weapons for killings of civilians and innocent people. ☝️ Just yesterday there was an Arria meeting at the UN Security Council. The theme was the Ukrainian Armed Forces Crimes. The Western countries that appeared at that meeting were simply saying one and the same thing as if it was rubber stamped and circulated to all of them. The essence of what they are saying is that we do not know what is happening there, we do not want to know what is happening there, but it is Russia that is to blame and you are not going to convince us otherwise. So we do not see how their reaction either to this terrorist attack in the Kursk region or to previous crimesis going to play out. • Ukraine currently is under a diplomatic protection of Western states, which simply do not give the opportunity to conduct detailed investigations, which present extremely one-sided considerations or data collections, reports on the humanitarian situation and violations of international humanitarian law, which is provoked by a number of international organisations, which sometimes have completely gone under the control of Western governments and perform more the function of political or propaganda pressure than of the isolated analysis of the situation, which would allow to make already justified conclusions. • The US and a number of its partners and satellites, which are now gathered in a certain Western grouping that actively continues to support the bloodshed in Ukraine, are the true customers, sponsors and accomplices in the bloodshed in Ukraine. ❗️Without their support, funding and active complicity, the conflict in Ukraine would not have been possible.

Nick Viorel Pruna from South Africa takes part in international Arctic expedition "Icebreaker of Knowledge". On 13 August, the nuclear-powered icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" left the port of Murmansk, which will take an international team of talented children and experts from 15 countries to the edge of the Earth. Many foreign participants of the voyage will be the first representatives of their states to visit the North Pole. In total, more than 70 participants set off on the expedition. "I can't believe that I am on board a real nuclear-powered icebreaker! A few days ago I was in South Africa, and today I am travelling to the North Pole from a polar city! It is a really unique opportunity and I am sure that I will get a lot of unforgettable emotions, knowledge and make a lot of discoveries about the Arctic, which I will definitely share with my friends and family back home" - says Nick Viorel Pruna.