Starting the negotiations, President Putin congratulated President Zuma on his victory at the elections and said: “Now it is high time to recall our joint projects”.

“Despite the domestic events, we have managed to maintain a positive growth of foreign trade,” the Russian President said.

He said in the past year, trade went up 11 percent, while in the past six months, growth had reached 10 percent.

President Putin said that now when the domestic calendar did not interfere, economic cooperation should be activated.

Available: http://www.sanews.gov.za/world/russia-sa-talk-economic-cooperation