The African National Congress said on Saturday that senior members of South Africa’s ruling ANC party were on a “working visit” to Russia, where they met with President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party.
The visit, which continues until Sunday, is at the invitation of Russia’s largest political party, United Russia, which is a “long-standing friend of the ANC”.
Obed Bapela leads the South African parliamentary delegation.
The two parties will engage in “discussions on a readjustment of the world order to reverse the consequences of neo-colonialism and the unipolar world that prevailed before”, according to the African National Congress.
South Africa is known for its proximity to Moscow, which has been widely criticized since the start of the war in Ukraine. At the same time, Pretoria claims to respect a “neutral” position and refuses to condemn Russia, justifying that it favors dialogue.
South Africa will host a Brics summit including Russia in August, while the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes in March.