Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (Moscow, July 26, 2023)
🔹 FM Sergey Lavrov’s schedule
🔹 #RussiaAfrica Summit
🔹 Ukrainian crisis
🔹 Russia’s cooperation with African countries
🔹 Day of Remembrance for Child Victims of the War in Donbass
🔹 Harassment of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
🔹 Double standards of the #UNESCO Secretariat
And more...
📚 Read in full
#Africa
▪️In the context of confrontation with the collective West, our interaction with the states of North Africa is of particular importance. Despite unprecedented pressure from the United States and its allies, up to and including outright blackmail, the countries of the region, guided primarily by their fundamental interests, have taken a balanced and responsible position on the Ukrainian issue.
Today it can be said with confidence that the Westerners’ attempts to isolate Russia and bring discord into our relations with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa have failed. We continue to have regular and intensive contacts with their leadership. Despite the illegal sanctions imposed against Russia, the trade with our key partners is growing.
#Ukraine
▪️ The Kiev regime has recently switched to terrorist activity akin to that of ISIS and al-Qaeda, which is primarily due to the obvious failure of the counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, undertaken with the generous sponsorship of the United States and other NATO countries.
I would like to remind ordinary Americans that it is the United States and Great Britain, the two allies, who are sponsoring all these terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime as it targets civilian infrastructure with drones. In fact, Washington and London are paying for all this from their taxpayers’ pockets.
The people of the United States and the UK must understand that they are being drawn against their will into a situation where they become sponsors of international terrorism, even if indirectly.
🔹 FM Sergey Lavrov’s schedule
🔹 #RussiaAfrica Summit
🔹 Ukrainian crisis
🔹 Russia’s cooperation with African countries
🔹 Day of Remembrance for Child Victims of the War in Donbass
🔹 Harassment of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
🔹 Double standards of the #UNESCO Secretariat
And more...
📚 Read in full
#Africa
▪️In the context of confrontation with the collective West, our interaction with the states of North Africa is of particular importance. Despite unprecedented pressure from the United States and its allies, up to and including outright blackmail, the countries of the region, guided primarily by their fundamental interests, have taken a balanced and responsible position on the Ukrainian issue.
Today it can be said with confidence that the Westerners’ attempts to isolate Russia and bring discord into our relations with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa have failed. We continue to have regular and intensive contacts with their leadership. Despite the illegal sanctions imposed against Russia, the trade with our key partners is growing.
#Ukraine
▪️ The Kiev regime has recently switched to terrorist activity akin to that of ISIS and al-Qaeda, which is primarily due to the obvious failure of the counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, undertaken with the generous sponsorship of the United States and other NATO countries.
I would like to remind ordinary Americans that it is the United States and Great Britain, the two allies, who are sponsoring all these terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime as it targets civilian infrastructure with drones. In fact, Washington and London are paying for all this from their taxpayers’ pockets.
The people of the United States and the UK must understand that they are being drawn against their will into a situation where they become sponsors of international terrorism, even if indirectly.
📆 Today marks the Africa Industrialization Day established in 1989 by the UNGA to raise awareness about the importance of Africa’s industrialization and the challenges faced by the continent.
☝️ Industrial development is of critical importance for sustained and inclusive economic growth in Africa contributing substantially to poverty eradication.
🇷🇺🤝 Russia assists in developing the African continent, providing trade preferences and cooperating within international organizations.
#Africa #SouthAfrica #AfricaRise #AfricaIndustrializationDay
☝️ Industrial development is of critical importance for sustained and inclusive economic growth in Africa contributing substantially to poverty eradication.
🇷🇺🤝 Russia assists in developing the African continent, providing trade preferences and cooperating within international organizations.
#Africa #SouthAfrica #AfricaRise #AfricaIndustrializationDay
Today is #AfricaDay, which celebrates unity, identity, rich culture and the-victory of African nations in their struggle for independence.
🎉 The Russian Embassy presents its sincerest congratulations and warmest wishes on this holiday symbolising the aspirations of the countries: on African continent for freedom, peace and prosperity!
#africa #AfricaDay #africaday2024
🎉 The Russian Embassy presents its sincerest congratulations and warmest wishes on this holiday symbolising the aspirations of the countries: on African continent for freedom, peace and prosperity!
#africa #AfricaDay #africaday2024
📚Anti-apartheid literature in the Soviet Union
Anti-apartheid writer Peter Abrahams (1919–2017) was well-known in the Soviet Union. His novel “The Path of Thunder” first was translated into Russian in 1949 and was reprinted many times until the late 1980s with hundreds of thousands of copies.
In the Soviet Union this South African work was used by the Soviet Ministry of Education to learn English. Even a textbook for English learners was based on this novel.
📒 Abrahams was inspired by Afro-American realist fiction. Es’kia Mphahlele noted that for black writers in South Africa “realism burst into full blossom” in the 1940s. Abrahams’ novels continued Mphahlele “were to provide an inspiration for later fiction – that of the next decade.” In South Africa Abrahams became a role model for black journalists and fiction writers of the 1950s.
Richard Rive, a prominent South African author and academic, believed that Abrahams’s realism also comes from the social realist traditions of the prose produced in the Soviet Union in the first half of the twentieth century. Rive pointed out that “Abrahams was intent on showing social conflict in the broad, political sense of the word.”
In the Soviet Union, where South African fiction often had bigger print runs that in South Africa, “The Path of Thunder” became the first widely known African novel. Through Abrahams’s work readers in the Soviet Union were first introduced to anti-apartheid fiction, long before they read novels by Alex La Guma, Andre Brink or Nadine Gordimer.
Moreover, “The Path of Thunder: was adapted for ballet by Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev in 1957. The ballet was performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad. In 1956, in Armenia, Stepan Kevorkov and Erasm Karamyan directed a drama based on Abrahams’s novel, which was seen by millions of people across the Soviet Union.
The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).
#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa #literature
Anti-apartheid writer Peter Abrahams (1919–2017) was well-known in the Soviet Union. His novel “The Path of Thunder” first was translated into Russian in 1949 and was reprinted many times until the late 1980s with hundreds of thousands of copies.
In the Soviet Union this South African work was used by the Soviet Ministry of Education to learn English. Even a textbook for English learners was based on this novel.
📒 Abrahams was inspired by Afro-American realist fiction. Es’kia Mphahlele noted that for black writers in South Africa “realism burst into full blossom” in the 1940s. Abrahams’ novels continued Mphahlele “were to provide an inspiration for later fiction – that of the next decade.” In South Africa Abrahams became a role model for black journalists and fiction writers of the 1950s.
Richard Rive, a prominent South African author and academic, believed that Abrahams’s realism also comes from the social realist traditions of the prose produced in the Soviet Union in the first half of the twentieth century. Rive pointed out that “Abrahams was intent on showing social conflict in the broad, political sense of the word.”
In the Soviet Union, where South African fiction often had bigger print runs that in South Africa, “The Path of Thunder” became the first widely known African novel. Through Abrahams’s work readers in the Soviet Union were first introduced to anti-apartheid fiction, long before they read novels by Alex La Guma, Andre Brink or Nadine Gordimer.
Moreover, “The Path of Thunder: was adapted for ballet by Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev in 1957. The ballet was performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad. In 1956, in Armenia, Stepan Kevorkov and Erasm Karamyan directed a drama based on Abrahams’s novel, which was seen by millions of people across the Soviet Union.
The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).
#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa #literature
🚘 Soviet and Russian motor vehicles in South Africa
The Lada Niva, a Soviet-made four-wheel-drive vehicle, first became available in South Africa in 1988. As the anti-apartheid sanctions were in force, the Soviet Union did authorise exports to South Africa. Hundreds of Nivas were imported from Western Europe, without after-market support. Only after South Africa’s transition to democracy authorised imports, supported by nationwide marketing campaigns, began.
In the late 1990s, the cars were shipped directly from Russia, with a full range of spares and technical support. The inexpensive and practical all-terrainer was welcomed by car enthusiasts in South Africa.
🚙 The ability to perform over rugged terrain and its affordability made the Lada Niva an excellent choice for South Africans. The economical car had permanent four-wheel-drive, five-speed gearbox with high and low range and a diff lock. For a small recreational vehicl, it had a huge fuel tank. Its 1.7-litre four-cylinder engine delivered 127Nm of torque.
The slightly modified Niva, now known as Lada Legend, is still produced in Russia and exported to several countries in Asia and Africa. The car, originally developed for Russia’s rural areas and launched in 1976, was the first mass-produced off-road vehicle with a monocoque structure and a permanent all-wheel-drive system.
The Lada took part in the Paris–Dakar Rally and reached the North Pole, the Antarctic and Everest. Nowadays, the Lada Niva/Legend is the world’s longest-running 4x4 still in production in its original form.
🛞 It has also enjoyed enthusiast societies on several continents. The Lada Owners Club of Southern Africa was formed in 2000. It has continued to operate after 2003 when the Lada Niva imports were discontinued. The club’s official Facebook group has nearly four thousand members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LOCSA/
The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).
#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa
The Lada Niva, a Soviet-made four-wheel-drive vehicle, first became available in South Africa in 1988. As the anti-apartheid sanctions were in force, the Soviet Union did authorise exports to South Africa. Hundreds of Nivas were imported from Western Europe, without after-market support. Only after South Africa’s transition to democracy authorised imports, supported by nationwide marketing campaigns, began.
In the late 1990s, the cars were shipped directly from Russia, with a full range of spares and technical support. The inexpensive and practical all-terrainer was welcomed by car enthusiasts in South Africa.
🚙 The ability to perform over rugged terrain and its affordability made the Lada Niva an excellent choice for South Africans. The economical car had permanent four-wheel-drive, five-speed gearbox with high and low range and a diff lock. For a small recreational vehicl, it had a huge fuel tank. Its 1.7-litre four-cylinder engine delivered 127Nm of torque.
The slightly modified Niva, now known as Lada Legend, is still produced in Russia and exported to several countries in Asia and Africa. The car, originally developed for Russia’s rural areas and launched in 1976, was the first mass-produced off-road vehicle with a monocoque structure and a permanent all-wheel-drive system.
The Lada took part in the Paris–Dakar Rally and reached the North Pole, the Antarctic and Everest. Nowadays, the Lada Niva/Legend is the world’s longest-running 4x4 still in production in its original form.
🛞 It has also enjoyed enthusiast societies on several continents. The Lada Owners Club of Southern Africa was formed in 2000. It has continued to operate after 2003 when the Lada Niva imports were discontinued. The club’s official Facebook group has nearly four thousand members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LOCSA/
The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).
#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa
🪖Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the iconic AK-47 automatic rifle, and South Africa
We continue the series of joint publications with the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Russia - South Africa in the XX century: pages of common history", timed to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the 65th anniversary of the Institute, as well as the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections in South Africa.
🇿🇦 The Soviet engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 (the Avtomat Kalashnikova), a weapon that gained an iconic status during wars of liberation worldwide including South Africa.
The 78-year-old major-general said that he produced the AK-47 after the Second World War to help protect the borders of his country. Decades later the light automatic gun with a short barrel meant to be fired from the hip or shoulder became the preferred weapon of South Africa’s freedom fighters. The Soviet Union provided AK-47s to the ANC military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. By the time of Kalashnikov’s trip to South Africa in 1997 approximately 70 million AK-47s had been produced. The rifle’s popularity with anti-apartheid fighters stemmed from its robust durability.
The inventor of the legendary rifle travelled to South Africa to mark the 50th anniversary of his best-known design, the world’s most popular automatic rifle AK-47. “The main purpose of my work,” - as he recounted to a South African journalist - “was to design a sub-machine gun for soldiers who did not graduate from military academies. I wanted them to have simple and reliable weapons in their hands.”
During his stay Kalashnikov visited the factory in Pretoria where the Vektor R4, the standard service rifle of the South African Defence Force, was produced. He also spent several days in Western Cape attending a function in his honour at the Castle in Cape Town and hunting springbok at a game farm near Ceres. He was impressed by the friendly disposition of South Africans towards Russia, their optimism, similar problems of building a democratic society.
📝The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).
#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa
We continue the series of joint publications with the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Russia - South Africa in the XX century: pages of common history", timed to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the 65th anniversary of the Institute, as well as the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections in South Africa.
🇿🇦 The Soviet engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 (the Avtomat Kalashnikova), a weapon that gained an iconic status during wars of liberation worldwide including South Africa.
The 78-year-old major-general said that he produced the AK-47 after the Second World War to help protect the borders of his country. Decades later the light automatic gun with a short barrel meant to be fired from the hip or shoulder became the preferred weapon of South Africa’s freedom fighters. The Soviet Union provided AK-47s to the ANC military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. By the time of Kalashnikov’s trip to South Africa in 1997 approximately 70 million AK-47s had been produced. The rifle’s popularity with anti-apartheid fighters stemmed from its robust durability.
The inventor of the legendary rifle travelled to South Africa to mark the 50th anniversary of his best-known design, the world’s most popular automatic rifle AK-47. “The main purpose of my work,” - as he recounted to a South African journalist - “was to design a sub-machine gun for soldiers who did not graduate from military academies. I wanted them to have simple and reliable weapons in their hands.”
During his stay Kalashnikov visited the factory in Pretoria where the Vektor R4, the standard service rifle of the South African Defence Force, was produced. He also spent several days in Western Cape attending a function in his honour at the Castle in Cape Town and hunting springbok at a game farm near Ceres. He was impressed by the friendly disposition of South Africans towards Russia, their optimism, similar problems of building a democratic society.
📝The materials provided by the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute (https://www.inafran.ru/en/).
#pagesofcommonhistory #russia #sovietunion #russiasouthafrica #ussr #humanrightsday #africa
Strengthening economic relations between #Russia, #Africa, and the Eurasian Economic Union (#EAEU)
For the first time, financial and economic relations between Russia, Africa, and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are shifting away from Western currencies in favour of national currencies.
As of the beginning of the year, the Russian ruble accounted for nearly 50% of mutual settlements. This transition not only accelerates transactions but also enhances the competitiveness of national currencies in the global market, contributing to the stabilization of exchange rates against other currencies.
Consequently, this trend stimulates the rapid development of mutual trade.
👉 The demand for national currencies in transactions between the #EAEU states and #Africa was prominently highlighted at the Russian-African Business Forum held in St. Petersburg in July of last year. During the forum, it was noted that the number of contracts and agreements – both trade and investment – in national currencies was on the rise.
⚠️ This shift, alongside other mutual benefits, is fostering industrialization and supporting the economic decolonization of African nations.
📈 This momentum is reflected in the substantial growth of mutual trade. In 2023, Russian exports to African countries surged by more than 50% compared to 2022, while imports rose by about 25%. Many experts predict that these trade indicators will continue to rise by at least 15-25% this year, with African exports expected to increase by 23-25%.
Notably, the share of other #EAEU countries in trade with #Africa has risen from 15% in the early 2020s to nearly 25% at the start of this year. Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa have remained the largest trade partners of the EAEU in Africa.
Africa’s growing interest in trade with the EAEU is primarily due to the latter’s lack of political conditions attached to product supplies, unlike former Western powers.
❗️ This openness supports African nations’ industrialization, export, and food supply initiatives. In contrast, the financial and economic policies of former Western metropolises aim to maintain Africa’s status as an agrarian and raw materials appendage.
#EAEU #Africa
For the first time, financial and economic relations between Russia, Africa, and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are shifting away from Western currencies in favour of national currencies.
As of the beginning of the year, the Russian ruble accounted for nearly 50% of mutual settlements. This transition not only accelerates transactions but also enhances the competitiveness of national currencies in the global market, contributing to the stabilization of exchange rates against other currencies.
Consequently, this trend stimulates the rapid development of mutual trade.
👉 The demand for national currencies in transactions between the #EAEU states and #Africa was prominently highlighted at the Russian-African Business Forum held in St. Petersburg in July of last year. During the forum, it was noted that the number of contracts and agreements – both trade and investment – in national currencies was on the rise.
⚠️ This shift, alongside other mutual benefits, is fostering industrialization and supporting the economic decolonization of African nations.
📈 This momentum is reflected in the substantial growth of mutual trade. In 2023, Russian exports to African countries surged by more than 50% compared to 2022, while imports rose by about 25%. Many experts predict that these trade indicators will continue to rise by at least 15-25% this year, with African exports expected to increase by 23-25%.
Notably, the share of other #EAEU countries in trade with #Africa has risen from 15% in the early 2020s to nearly 25% at the start of this year. Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa have remained the largest trade partners of the EAEU in Africa.
Africa’s growing interest in trade with the EAEU is primarily due to the latter’s lack of political conditions attached to product supplies, unlike former Western powers.
❗️ This openness supports African nations’ industrialization, export, and food supply initiatives. In contrast, the financial and economic policies of former Western metropolises aim to maintain Africa’s status as an agrarian and raw materials appendage.
#EAEU #Africa
Lovers and admirers of the Russian language: this intensive course is for you!
⚡️ We are pleased to inform you that St Petersburg University (SPbU) with the support of the Russian Embassy in South Africa continues the enrollment in the Russian language courses.
SPbU provides a unique opportunity for the residents of the Republic of South Africa to learn the world’s seventh-most spoken language.
If you have long been interested in studying the Russian language in order to get a degree, build a career or simply broaden your horizons, then we are pleased to invite you to our online courses.
St Petersburg University will glad to inform about its programmes available for foreigners.
The course will be conducted for different levels. Participation is completely FREE.
🗓 Classes are to be held from October 2024 till December 2024 in the morning and evening time (four times a week for 1.5 hrs). The course is to be launched on 14 October.
Those wishing to study at Russian universities will be chosen on a priority basis.
🔗 Registration is available via the LINK
The number of participants is limited. Don't miss the opportunity to join!
#russia #russian #africa #russiaafrica #russianlanguage
⚡️ We are pleased to inform you that St Petersburg University (SPbU) with the support of the Russian Embassy in South Africa continues the enrollment in the Russian language courses.
SPbU provides a unique opportunity for the residents of the Republic of South Africa to learn the world’s seventh-most spoken language.
If you have long been interested in studying the Russian language in order to get a degree, build a career or simply broaden your horizons, then we are pleased to invite you to our online courses.
St Petersburg University will glad to inform about its programmes available for foreigners.
The course will be conducted for different levels. Participation is completely FREE.
🗓 Classes are to be held from October 2024 till December 2024 in the morning and evening time (four times a week for 1.5 hrs). The course is to be launched on 14 October.
Those wishing to study at Russian universities will be chosen on a priority basis.
🔗 Registration is available via the LINK
The number of participants is limited. Don't miss the opportunity to join!
#russia #russian #africa #russiaafrica #russianlanguage