BRICS IS A CATALYST FOR INEVITABLE CHANGES IN UNJUST WORLD AFFAIRS

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva’s blunt assessment of the current state of world politics would have been frightening were his views not so much of an open secret. During the recently-concluded BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, President Lula stated: “We are witnessing an unprecedented collapse of multilateralism.” In more ways than one, the Brazilian […]
PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ADDRESSES THE 17TH BRICS LEADERS’ SUMMIT

“I would like to thank you, President Lula, for your warm welcome and for hosting us, as Chair of the 17th BRICS Summit, in Rio de Janeiro. I extend my warmest welcome to our dear friends, the Republic of Indonesia, as the newest member of the BRICS formation. We are witnessing a dramatic reshaping of […]
BRICS MUST ACCEPT MORE MEMBERS TO BECOME A TRUE CATALYST FOR A NEW, BETTER WORLD ORDER

The annual BRICS Summit, to be attended by heads of state, takes place in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro in early July. BRICS, acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is expanding at the speed of a lightning. At the 2023 BRICS Summit in South Africa, six more countries were accepted as members into […]
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER LAMOLA SPEAKS AT THE THIRD G20 SHERPA MEETING

“On this day, 70 years ago, 26 June 1955, the people of South Africa from all walks of life congregated under the hawkish eyes of the Apartheid government and declared the following: We, the People of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know: With regards to International Relations they declared […]
DEPUTY PRESIDENT MASHATILE’S ADDRESS AT THE G20 INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE

“It is an honour to be here today after I have just returned from a very successful Working Visit to the Russian Federation, where our delegation was warmly welcomed and engaged in an intense programme aimed at deepening bilateral trade and economic ties between South Africa and Russia. As you all know, Russia has a […]
“NORMAL LIFE” IN ST PETERSBURG BELIES RUSSIA’S HEAVY FIGHTING WITH UKRAINE

The captivating sense of calmness, the throngs of people milling about and the huge traffic volumes throughout St Petersburg belies the reality that Russia is in a state of war. St Petersburg is a sprawling cosmopolitan city. It is regarded as the mecca of Russia’s culture and heritage, an epicentre of values as well as […]
ANTON KOBYAKOV IS RUSSIA’S RISING FORCE WITH PENCHANT TO “SAIL UNDER THE RADAR”

Anton Kobyakov, remember the name! He is a soft-spoken, erudite and affable Russian politician who serves as an adviser to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. He also serves at the highest echelons of Roscongress, a state-owned enterprise responsible for various strategic initiatives, including international events assemble and management as well. The unassuming Kobyakov holds a […]
RECAP OF ROSCONGRESS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AREA AT SPIEF 2025

The Roscongress International Cooperation Area was first presented at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2025. It has become a unified communication space for dialogue between representatives of governmental and public structures, business and expert communities in Russia and other states, as well as international organizations and integration associations. Key Highlights and Statements Chairman […]
“THE DOMINANCE OF THE WEST IS OVER,” SAYS RUSSIA’S PRESIDENT PUTIN

Russian President Vladimir Putin sounded like a man on a mission to change the world. But any thoughts of Putin toying with the international world order needs a quick rethink because, in his own words, he is not. Instead, Putin told a packed St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) this week that he is merely […]
DEP PRESIDENT MASHATILE VOWS TO IMPROVE POOR TRADE BETWEEN SA AND RUSSIA

Trade relations between South Africa and Russia are woefully inadequate, struggling to reach 1 billion dollars per annum. This was revealed in remarks by the Deputy President Paul Mashatile in a press conference during his working visit to Russia this week. Mashatile was attending the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) along with a […]
DEPUTY PRESIDENT MASHATILE’S PUBLIC LECTURE AT RUSSIA’S ST PETERSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY

“To begin, allow me to take this opportunity to convey warm greetings from President Cyril Ramaphosa and the people of South Africa to the entire academic community and the people of the Russian Federation. It is a great honour for me to address you at this prestigious institution, the St. Petersburg State University, a beacon […]
“SPIEF 2025” SHOWS RUSSIA IS AT THE CENTRE OF A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD ORDER

This week, Russia is hosting some 20,000 participants from over 170 countries to the 28th edition of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The theme of SPIEF 2025 is: “Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World.” Russia has held SPIEF annually since 1997. It is held under the auspices of the office […]