Russian Consulate in Cape Town

🇷🇺🇿🇦📞 On 10 February 2026, President Vladimir Putinspoke over the phone with President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa. Two leaders discussed further development of mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, economic, and investment areas within the framework of the Russia-South Africa Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The situation in Ukraine was also addressed. President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed support for Russia’s efforts aimed at a political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict. In exchanging views on the current international agenda, both sides noted the importance of continued coordination between Russia and South Africa, including within the #G20 and #BRICS. #RussiaSouthAfrica

🗓 On 25 November 2025, the parish center of the Cathedral of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Midrand hosted the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Vladimir #Tretchikoff, a South African artist of Russian origin. Video address by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Pankin opened the exhibition. Guests were welcomed by the Russian Ambassador to South Africa, Roman Ambarov and the artist’s granddaughter, Natasha Swift (via prerecorded video message). The curator of the exhibition — Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Boris Gorelik — led a guided tour for attendees. Among those present at the opening were representatives of the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, members of the creative community, and Russian compatriots. ⭐️The event became the concluding highlight of Russia’s contribution to South Africa’s #G20 Presidency. 🎙 From Ambassador Roman Ambarov’s welcome address: "On November 25, the G20 Summit concluded here in Johannesburg — a summit at which South Africa brought together not only member states, but also a remarkable number of invited countries representing the broader global community. <...> Tretchikoff, in his own way, united people just as effectively as any diplomatic forum. He saw beauty in diverse cultures; he understood the dignity and richness of communities from every background. He created art for all groups of society, including those whose voices were often overlooked. And although in Russia he remains less well known than here in South Africa, we still recognise in him something profoundly Russian. In our culture, we have long been accustomed to understanding one another despite origins, histories, or languages. Tretchikoff carried that same instinct — to connect, to include, to reveal the shared humanity behind every face."

🎙️ Marat #Berdyev, Russia’s #G20 Sous-Sherpa: “The G20 sherpas have concluded their negotiation work. The text of the Summit’s final document has been finalized. The agreements reached are to be approved by the G20 Heads of Delegation during the Leaders Summit in Johannesburg on November 22–23.” #G20SouthAfrica

🚀6-е совещание лидеров космической экономики (SELM) проходит 1–3 сентября 2025 года в Херманусе под председательством Южно-Африканского космического агентства (SANSA). 🌍 Тема SELM 2025: “Космос как катализатор инклюзивного глобального экономического развития: политика, партнерство и процветание” — выбрана в соответствии с общей темой Южной Африки для G20«Солидарность, равенство и устойчивое развитие», направленной на мобилизацию стран мира для принятия практических мер по решению глобальных проблем и укреплению международного сотрудничества в рамках системы, основанной на правилах. 🛰️ Пленарные сессии посвящены: ▪️ Целям устойчивого развития, ▪️ сотрудничеству между государственным и частным сектором и передаче знаний, ▪️ устойчивой космической деятельности. 🇷🇺 В мероприятии от Российской Федерации участвует руководство Госкорпорации “Роскосмос” и АО “Главкосмос”. #G20#RussiaSouthAfrica#russianconsulate#CapeTown

🎙 Russia's President Vladimir Putin's interview to the Chinese news agency Xinhua ahead of his official visit to the People’s Republic of China (August 30, 2025) Key points: • The visit of our friend, President of China Xi Jinping, to Russia in May was a resounding success, drew wide international attention and was highly regarded in our country. His arrival coincided with a date that is sacred to us, the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. • The Chinese Leader was the principal guest of honour at the celebrations in Moscow. During our high-level talks, we held a very productive discussion of key issues in cooperation between our nations. The outcome was a comprehensive joint statement and the signing of a substantial package of bilateral documents. • The peoples of the Soviet Union and China bore the brunt of the fighting and suffered the heaviest losses. <...> Before the full-scale outbreak of the Second World War, in the 1930s, when Japan treacherously launched a war of aggression against China, the Soviet Union extended a helping hand to the Chinese people. • We see that in certain Western states the results of the Second World War are de facto revised, and the verdicts of the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals are openly disregarded. <...> Russia and China resolutely condemn any attempts to distort the history of the Second World War, glorify Nazis, militarists and their accomplices, members of death squads and killers, or to defame Soviet liberators. • At the invitation of President Xi, I will pay a return visit to China. I greatly look forward to visiting the city of Tianjin, which will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit under China's presidency. • The #SCO's appeal lies in its simple but powerful principles: a firm commitment to its founding philosophy, openness to equal cooperation, non-confrontation with third parties, and respect for the national characteristics and uniqueness of each nation. • I look forward to in-depth discussions with President Xi Jinping on all aspects of our bilateral agenda, including political and security cooperation, as well as economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. • The Russia-China strategic partnership acts as a stabilising force. As the two leading powers in Eurasia, we cannot remain indifferent to the challenges and threats facing our continent and the wider world. • Russia and China support reform of the UN so that it fully restores its authority and reflects modern realities. In particular, we advocate for making the Security Council more democratic by including states from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Any such reforms must, however, be approached with the utmost care. • Close cooperation between Moscow and Beijing has positively shaped the work of leading economic forums, including the #G20 and #APEC. We are working closely with China within #BRICS to expand its role as a key pillar of global architecture. Alongside our Chinese partners, we support the reform of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. • Economic relations between Russia and China have reached an unprecedented level. Since 2021, bilateral trade has grown by about 100 billion dollars. <...> While trade figures are denominated in US dollar equivalents, transactions between Russia and China are carried out in rubles and yuan. • Large-scale bilateral cultural and humanitarian initiatives make a significant contribution to fostering friendly relations. Education and science remain especially promising areas for cooperation. Academic mobility and inter-university contacts continue to grow. Today, more than 51'000 Chinese students are studying in Russia, while 21'000 Russian students are studying in China. Tourism is another important sphere I would like to note. The figures here are encouraging: by the end of 2024, mutual tourist flows had increased 2.5 times, reaching 2.8 million people. Read in full #RussiaChina

🎙️ Interview with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Aleksandr Pankin for TASS (July 26, 2025) Key Points • Russia is committed to eliminating global inequality, aiming to ensure that African and other developing countries not only gain equal access to resources and financing, but also actively participate in the governance of various international institutions, including economic ones — so that their voices are heard. • Under the prevailing neocolonial practices of the West toward Africa, stable development and social progress on the continent are unattainable. This calls for a fundamental transformation of the global order and the democratization of international relations. African nations recognize and support Russia’s policy aimed at these objectives. • A paradoxical situation exists: the volume of capital flowing into African countries is effectively matched by capital outflows. In essence, this reflects the ongoing exploitation of Africa, particularly its natural resources, from which the local populations and governments receive minimal benefit. • Within the G20 framework, Russia and South Africa maintain strong coordination and mutual support. South Africa plays a constructive role in ensuring that the G20 remains a non-confrontational platform, enabling dialogue and consensus-building among all member states wherever possible. • The #BRICS agenda holds global relevance, and its countries also participate in the #G20. However, BRICS tends to offer more effective solutions due to the shared vision among its members. In contrast, the G20 faces challenges stemming from the divide between Western and developing nations, making compromise more difficult to achieve. #G20SouthAfrica

#Announcement 📍 On July 25, the first ministerial meeting under South Africa’s current G20 Presidency will take place in Skukuza, South Africa. The meeting will focus on issues of international development. 🇿🇦 At Pretoria’s initiative, the upcoming G20 discussions will also focus on the challenges of illicit financial flows and social protection for the population. 🇷🇺 The Russian delegation at the ministerial meeting will be headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin. As part of work on the outcome documents, Russia will advocate for ideas aimed at building an open, non-discriminatory, and inclusive global economic system, and at strengthening the foundations of multilateralism in responding to today’s development challenges. ❗️ We proceed from the belief that global markets and supply chains must not become hostages to unilateral confrontational ambitions, unfair competition, or neo-colonial practices driven by obsession. Mechanisms for servicing commercial operations must be freed from Western dominance and control, and adapted to the needs of a multipolar socio-economic model of international relations. In line with this approach, we will present concrete proposals to advance a positive agenda in this area—drawing, in particular, on the outcomes of the Kazan BRICS Summit and the evolving toolkit of the BEPS framework. Based on material by Marat Berdyev, Russia's #G20 Sous-Sherpa

🎙 Russian #G20 Sherpa Svetlana Lukash spoke to Ubuntu Radio on the sidelinens of the Third Sherpa Meeting in Sun City Resort (June 26, 2025) ❓What are Russia's key priorities for the G20 agenda, and how do you see the group addressing the current global economic challenges? 💬Svetlana Lukash: We think that South African priorities are very well placed to also achieve the goals set by the Russian Federation in the G20. That is promotion of inclusive global growth. That is job creation. That is development of artificial intelligence, and approaches to governing artificial intelligence. That is issues of critical minerals, which are important for strengthening both South African and Russian economies. And overall, that is the issue of the change in the system of global governance. ☝️ It's time to really make global governance institutions work in the interests of emerging and developing economies, in the interests of the Global South. And that's what we will put on the table as our main priorities and, as I said, those go fully in line with the South African presidency's topics. ❓In light of the current global issues, how does Russia see the G20 contributing to the promotion of multilateralism and strengthening international relations? 💬Svetlana Lukash: I think just having the presidency in Africa for the first time, and putting the interests of Africa and of the Global South at the top of the G20 agenda, already gives the strongest signal to the world community that the time has changed. Besides, South Africa invited many stakeholders, many countries, many partners, many guest countries to enrich our dialogue. So G20 should not be just a closed format, where only 20 economics discuss the topics that are important for the whole world. What the South African presidency did is that it helped to open G20, first in the interests of the rest of the world — of the global majority. And second, to be as transparent and as open as possible to African neighbors. So that is amazing. So I really praise what the presidency is doing this year. ❓How does Russia envision the G20 promoting global economic cooperation, particularly in areas such as trade, energy, and finance? 💬Svetlana Lukash: Well, a difficult question, taking into account the current geoeconomic fragmentation of the global economy, geopolitical tensions, and the spiral of sanctions and tariff wars. And in this situation, what G20 can do is really continue cooperation. And despite all the controversial views and interests, still try to address these issues — still try not to silence that sanctions are in place, and they disturb global energy and food markets. We really need more inclusive global institutions, like, for instance, the WTO — the World Trade Organization — which needs to work in the interest of development, and which needs to address issues it was invented for. And I think the G20, under the leadership of the South African presidency, is moving in this direction. We will see by November whether we can overcome all the current difficulties, all the current geopolitical tensions, to focus on the mandate of the G20 — on economic cooperation and preventing and dealing with possible financial crises. So, let's see. But we are very optimistic about that, because we have very good leaders this year. #G20SouthAfrica

❗️On June 25, the third #G20 Sherpa Meeting kicked off in Sun City, South Africa. The Russian delegation is led by Svetlana Lukash, Russia’s G20 Sherpa, Deputy Head of the Presidential Expert Directorate of the Russian Federation. On the first day of the event, an assessment was given to the G20’s contribution to the global development agenda and the promotion of equitable global governance. It was noted that the global economy is facing serious challenges overcoming of which requires multilateral cooperation. Such efforts should be implemented with the UN playing the central role, as well as backed by the WTO as a universal trade regulator. As part of the meeting, the participants have begun the work to agree on the draft leadership declaration. Its final version will be adopted at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg on November 22-23, 2025. #G20SouthAfrica

❗From the interview of Marat #Berdyev, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russia’s #G20 Sous-Sherpa, to TASS (June 21, 2025): • South Africa’s Presidency of the G20 is shaped through the lens of the Ubuntu philosophy — "I am because we are." I believe this is especially relevant now, as the world is torn apart by geopolitical confrontations, trade wars, and other destructive processes fragmenting both the political and economic landscape. • In2023, the G20 welcomed a new member for the first time: the African Union. This only strengthened the voice of the Global South on the platform. • We believe that this unique global forum — where developed and developing countries sit together — is vital for addressing today’s enormous global challenges. What’s needed is collective action. In this regard, emerging economies are acting constructively and productively, contributing to the G20’s work as a positive force. • On the "Ukrainization" of the G20 agenda — indeed, since the start of the special military operation, the West has launched a large-scale anti-Russian campaign <...>. But if you track the evolution of G20 language and how agreements are being shaped, you’ll see a clear shift: the international community is beginning to grasp the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine and that it does not exist in a vacuum. It’s part of a broader geopolitical struggle the West is waging against countries it sees as competitors. • The G20 is not immune to the broader trend affecting many international platforms — a growing divergence of views on key global issues. This reality makes it harder to find common solutions. ❗Russia’s position is clear: the G20 is primarily an economic forum. Regardless of geopolitical events, we should not turn it into a substitute for platforms like the UN Security Council, which are designed to handle such matters. We must focus on the pressing socio-economic issues for which the G20 was originally created — finding tools and opportunities to maintain high growth rates and sustainable development. • The United States' participation in G20 processes has been sporadic. They haven’t withdrawn or entirely disengaged from G20 consultations, but their involvement has been selective and irregular. So far, they haven’t blocked proceedings or created insurmountable obstacles to the G20’s functioning. How they’ll behave going forward remains to be seen. The upcoming Sherpa meeting may offer some clarity.

🇿🇦 South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, delivered an interim summary of his country’s historic first Presidency of the #GroupofTwenty. During a recent dedicated briefing for the local diplomatic corps, the following key points were emphasized: 📆 Over 50 G20 meetings of various levels, including ministerial sessions, have been held. 🌍 There is broad support within the #G20, as well as among invited states and international organizations, for the cooperation priorities proposed by South Africa. The following independent and significant areas are highlighted as particularly noteworthy: 🟢 Reform of the multilateral trading system (MTS) and the global financial architecture; 🟢 Promotion of inclusivity, equity, and meaningful participation; 🟢 Efforts to counter climate change; 🟢 International cooperation in taxation and combating illicit financial flows. ‼️ Mr. Lamola expressed“collective concern over the rise of protectionism and unilateral measures that undermine the MTS.” In this regard, he called for mutually acceptable solutions on agenda issues and emphasized the importance of strictly adhering to the G20's consensus-based decision-making mechanism. 🗓️ He also confirmed South Africa’s intention to host the 2nd Social Summit in November.

Russia’s #G20 Sous-Sherpa Marat Berdyiev: Representatives of the World Majority countries speak unanimously about the importance of strengthening multilateralism in international relations. 🇿🇦At the recent G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa pointed out African states had to deal with an array of interconnected challenges. Such being climate change, lack of finance for development needs, negative dynamics in global trade. Of particular concern is the colossal lag in achieving SDGs. 🇿🇦SA Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola added further fragmentation of supply chains, trade restrictions and unilateral sanctions or economic coercion threatened to turn out as a loss for everyone. It is our common interest to work jointly toward resilient global economy and well-being of all. G20 is a unique platform to implement these aspirations. 🇧🇷Foreign Minister of Brazil Mauro Vieira supported South Africa's focus on inclusive economic growth, industrialization, increasing employment, especially among young people, and combating inequality. Developing countries put emphasis on food security and artificial intelligence, primarily their economic value. 🇮🇳 Foreign Minister of India S.Jaishankar prioritises debt sustainability for low-income nations, reform of the global financial architecture, and just energy transitions. In his opinion, critical minerals should also become a driver of economic growth in Africa. 🇨🇳Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi highlighted the significant anniversaries of 2025 – the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism in World War II and the establishment of the UN. China intends to continue upholding the role of the United Nations and strengthen multilateralism based on the purposes and principles of its Charter. #G20