President Jacob Zuma touched down in Russia last week to meet with his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to strengthen trade relations between the two Brics members. During the short visit, the two presidents reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on critical regional and global issues. This follows the visit to South Africa in March by Putin where the two countries sealed eight agreements in the fields of education, energy, defence, fisheries, mineral resources and transport. A spokesperson for the presidency said Russian companies already had “huge” investments in South Africa, with bilateral trade between the two countries increasing by a record 66.3% during the 2012 financial year, reaching over R9 billion. CAPTION Jacob Zuma is introduced to Russian ambassador Mikhail Ivanovich Petrakov by SA ambassador Mandisi Mpahlwa at Sochi Airport, Russia. Photo: GCIS
