The results of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to African countries prove that Moscow is not isolated from the world community. This opinion was expressed by journalist Joseph Cotterill in an article published in the Financial Times on Friday.
According to him, statements by South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor are "a warning to Kiev's allies that <...> Moscow is far from being isolated." The joint naval exercises of Russia and South Africa will also be a demonstration of "warm relations between Pretoria and Moscow."
Pandor also noted that South Africa's calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops would be "simplistic and unserious, given the massive transfer of weapons [by the West to Kiev]."
"This (Lavrov's visit - TASS) means that Russia is making progress in its global campaign <...> this is a conflict between Russia and the United States, the West, not Ukraine," said Wilm Gumede, the chairman of the Democracy Works Foundation, which is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The naval exercises involving ships from South Africa, Russia and China will take place from February 17 to 27. According to a statement of the South African Defense Ministry, "the exercises will take place in the waters of the Indian Ocean within 10 days," and their aim is an "exchange of operational skills and knowledge." The joint exercises are designed to "strengthen the already thriving relationship between our countries." The first such trilateral exercise took place in November 2019 near Cape Town in southwestern South Africa in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS