China
Author: Yolisa Njamela
Source: news.cgtn.com

What did the BRICS Summit bring to the people in South Africa and the continent?

The 10th BRICS Summit, which took place in Johannesburg in July 2018, was hailed as a huge success by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The summit was held under the overall arching theme "BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution."

At the time Ramaphosa said: "We as South Africa are very pleased with the way the BRICS Summit succeeded in achieving the many objectives we had in mind. It was one of the most well organized summits as articulated by the heads of state from the BRICS countries."

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa attends the 10th BRICS Leaders' Summit, July 26, 2018. /VCG Photo


The three-day summit brought together leaders who represent 40 percent of the world's population and 22 percent of the world's GDP.

A total of 21 heads of states, mainly from Africa, attended the BRICS Outreach Dialogue and the BRICS Plus sessions at the invitation of BRICS leaders.

This was particularly important for the African continent as Pretoria (South Africa's government seat) was using the BRICS Summit to leverage the collective development of the continent.

President Ramaphosa emphasized that BRICS is not merely a talk shop but a forum that takes clear and decisive decisions to better their nations as a collective.

But some critics have continued to condemn the grouping, saying it's not beneficial for the people of South Africa and the African continent and that the BRICS Summits are mere talk shops.

Here are a few facts debunking that view: A plethora of bilateral agreements were signed during the summit.

The bilateral deals, President Ramaphosa noted, opened a path for increased engagement and cooperation, and allowed for greater interaction notably for the development and economic growth through trade and investment integration, and cooperation in global governance financial, economic and political institutions for the different regions which were represented.

On day two of the event, BRICS leaders signed the Johannesburg Declaration.

In this declaration, the heads of state of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa committed to enhancing strategic partnerships to benefit their people through promoting peace, a fairer international order, sustainable development and inclusive growth.

The leaders also resolved to strengthen cooperation in the areas of economy, peace and security and people-to-people exchanges, reaffirming their commitment to mutual respect, sovereign equality, democracy and inclusiveness.

Among the deals sealed was the BRICS Aviation memorandum of understanding between the five countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (third left) and President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa (second right) during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, July 26, 2018. /VCG Photo


The agreement seeks to expand and deepen cooperation among competent authorities in the field from the BRICS countries.

Among other things, the cooperation will see the countries share public policies and best practice, with focus on airport management, infrastructure, navigation services, innovation as well as pilot training.

This agreement will ensure that South Africa continues to have adequate and highly skilled aviation professionals.

An environmental agreement was also reached, with each member country committing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals on air quality, water, biodiversity, climate change, and waste management.

South Africa's role as a gateway to the African continent was cemented during the Summit as a number of African Heads of States made trade deals that would benefit their countries.

As an example, Russia signed a memorandum of understanding with Zimbabwe for the production of platinum group metals.

In addition, the following cooperative agreements were reached:

Establishment of the BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform;

Establishment of the BRICS Networks of Science Parks, Technology Business Incubators and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises;

Commissioning of the review of the BRICS Joint Trade Study on promoting intra-BRICS Value Added Trade;

Establishment of a BRICS Working Group on Tourism.

The summit also agreed on the establishment of a BRICS Women's Forum and a vaccine center to be based in South Africa.

"The agreements signed between emerging markets at the BRICS Summit are likely to benefit poor South Africans, the investment deals would provide much-needed jobs for many people," political analyst Somadoda Fikeni told a local newspaper.

"Any funding would create jobs for the ordinary man on the street. South Africa being part of crafting a new direction can only be positive," Fikeni said.

This is not only true for South Africa but for the rest of the continent.

"When we took up our membership in BRICS, we felt that we were representing the African continent and that we would use our participation in BRICS as leverage for the African continent and advocate for the development and progress of the African continent," said President Ramaphosa.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, speaking as the African Union (AU) chairperson, declared that "there is a clear convergence of interests between Africa and BRICS members."

The partnership is important, he said, because BRICS and Africa "have a common interest in an open and fair international system."

The 11th BRICS Summit is due to be held in Brazil in 2019.

India
Source: financialexpress.com

Since the time President Jair Bolsonaro was elected as the new President of Brazil, there have been concerns related to BRICS as well as MERCOSUR. And how important will India be in the foreign policy of that country.

Andre Aranha Correa da Lago, ambassador of Brazil to India. Since the time President Jair Bolsonaro was elected as the new President of Brazil, there have been concerns related to BRICS as well as MERCOSUR. And how important will India be in the foreign policy of that country. Andre Aranha Correa da Lago, ambassador of Brazil to India shares his views with Financial Express Online's Huma Siddiqui.

Now that Brazil has a new President, will the India-Brazil relations change? Will Brazil move out of BRICS?

The new President Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in. He is a different kind of politician. We already have received very clear information that BRICS will continue to be a priority. And we have the confirmation of all the BRICS meetings which will culminate with the summit in November 2019 in Brazil.

BRICS structure is something very positive in our relations first because it has created a very intense calendar of meeting; even though our countries are geographically very distant. The BRICS structure has created many opportunities for these meetings. The new President has never been to India, and he is being briefed about our country's relations with India and its importance bilaterally as well as in various multilateral fora.

What about the expansion of India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement?

The new president is already very conscious of how important MERCOSUR is for Brazil and how it has some structures that are extremely favorable to some economic sectors in Brazil. And it also has some circumstances and some obligations that may restrict the flexibility of Brazil to negotiate Free Trade Agreements. The fact is that we are linked to MERCOSUR very strongly as its negotiation and consolidation has been a long process in our economies since the 80s.

We cannot expect to have the announcement of the negotiation of an agreement in the first months of the government nor before the elections in India. I believe we already have a special dialogue established between the MERCOSUR leaders and Indian authorities and we have exchanged some proposals on some lists of products in which we have preferential tariffs. There is no deadline set to start negotiations with India.

As a new envoy of Brazil to India, what steps would you take to enhance trade relations with India?

I have come from Japan to India. The bilateral trade between Japan and Brazil has been in recent years significantly lower than before. And it is not only with Japan. It is a pattern that applies to many of our most traditional partners. This is so as Brazil went through a very serious economic crisis. In fact we can see that we had three very strong crises at the same time: political crisis; economic crisis and a very significant moral crisis. I really believe that these crises have showed the amazing resilience of Brazil. It has allowed the Brazilian population to understand much better the functions of the government, parliament and the courts. This generation of Brazilian understands better the division of power in three branches than any generation before it. The great news about Brazil is that is has just started to recover economically as the government put a very competent economic group in charge which has succeeded in controlling inflation and lowering the interest rate. There were around 14 million unemployed during the crisis, but new jobs started to be created as of 2018, indicating the overall recovery of the economy.

So from an economic point of view I think we have very clearly a recovery even if the economy is only growing at one percent, which is very small by Indian standards. But the fact is that we had two years of strong recession, but since 2018 the overall situation of the economy has improved and there is strong support for the fight against corruption and, by the way, the main symbol of this fight – magistrate Sergio Moro – has been chosen by the president as Minister of Justice. It is going to be very interesting and even exciting to see how a different government is going to take power in Brazil, starting on January the 1st.

Bilaterally, Brazilian trade and investment should not and will not overlook India. India is the fifth economy in the world. It is with which Brazil has no historical or geopolitical issues which could oppose the two countries. We are extremely close in our vision of the world and BRICS symbolizes this in the sense that we believe that we have more relevance today than is recognized by the main structures of world power.

Have you identified any new sectors for cooperation?

Well, the fact is that we have to admit that the economic and investment performance between our two countries is still very modest. It is easy to identify areas, but it is less easy to convince our businessmen as there are so many options in the world today. However, significantly, Indian companies have increased investments in Brazil in recent years.

Recently, Sterlite Power participated in the transmission auction held by the Brazilian Government –that is a big presence of an Indian company in Brazil. Marcopolo is already here in a joint venture with Tata Motors for making buses. Since we have a very advanced banking system and great expertise in ATMs, Perto S. A., a Digicon Group company, a high technology and IT company and the world's leading manufacturer of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) and Cash Dispenser Machines (CDMs) is present here. In addition, the Brazilian company WEG S.A. is producing electic generators and will soon start producing wind turbines for the Indian market.

Any bilateral defence cooperation with India?

Defence is not a central issue for Brazil. And obviously as a diplomat I say with pleasure that it's thanks to diplomacy, as in the history of Brazil we have been negotiating borders with our neighbors and that was a central issue. Brazil has ten neighbors. And we have zero border issues with any of them. Another great thing is that Brazil and Argentina both agreed in the 90s to stop our nuclear arms program which existed. Therefore, the main threat to Brazil is not related to foreign governments but from insurgencies and drug related issues. Our armed forces are very small by any standards and are thoroughly professional. There are two main worries: the Amazonand the other is in the sea what is better known as Blue Amazon. The equipment needed to deal with situations has been specially built to carry operations in jungles as well as protect our coastline which is very huge.

The armed forces have developed specific abilities, and there is a very specific group for special operations in the jungles. There are possibilities for having exchanging quality equipment from both sides. For instance, Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, has developed an advanced model for military transport which could be used by the Indian Airforce. The Defence area is one in which we can significantly increase our dialogue.

So are there any big delegations expected from your country to visit India?

There is a need for key people from both sides to visit each other's countries and see what would work in terms of new technologies. Fintech startups that have been launched in Brazil will be visiting India in April and we are planning to make this visit an annual event.

These start-ups have so much to share, especially new technologies in the Agriculture sector, in storage systems, analysis of satellite images for the agri sector and in the study of all sorts of bio pesticides and all sorts of fish.

Russia
Source: sputniknews.com

The US has been stepping up its involvement in military exercises in Latin America in recent years, partly in response to growing regional influence by Russia and China. The US has long supported right-wing governments in the region to protect its interests and block Soviet influence; more recently, they've been a bulwark against the Pink Tide.

Almost since the country's inception, the United States has viewed Latin America as its own backyard, with US President James Monroe articulating that view in 1823 in a doctrine that came to be named after him. Ironically, that, too, was provoked by Russian expansion into the Americas, when it claimed land along North America's northwestern Pacific coast.

"When it comes to China and Russia, we are looking at cooperation where we can and pushing back aggressively where we must," US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein told Foreign Policy in a November 2018 interview. "We keep a close eye on their activities globally, but certainly we keep an eye on their activities [in Latin America]."

During his tour of several Latin American countries last August, then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis remarked, "We see Latin America as our neighbor. Some people say we don't pay much attention to it. That is certainly not the case in the military." Mattis was the first Pentagon chief to visit the region since 2014.

According to Maj. Joost Verduyn, spokesman for Air Forces Southern Command, the US has stepped up its participation in regional military exercises in recent years, even though the number of them hasn't increased.

"What has been increasing is the participation in these exercises," Verduyn told Military.com. "The air show in Chile earlier [last] year was highlighted by the F-35, and the US Air Force sent more aircraft to participate in the show than it had before. US and partner nation participation in exercises in South America also continue to grow."

Other examples of US participation in the region include air-to-air combat training exercises hosted by the Colombian Air Force last July; a 12-country air force exercise hosted in Arizona last July; a Brazilian-hosted air-to-air combat drill last November that featured eight countries; and the deployment of the US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort to the Colombian city of Turbo in August to aid Venezuelan refugees in the country.

"Nearly every week of the year, the 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) and the US Air Force are conducting smaller subject matter expert exchanges across Central and South America and the Caribbean," Verduyn told Military.com.

However, despite this rhetoric, the US' budget for its military forces in the region hasn't noticeably increased.

"Because no nation in the region poses a direct, conventional military threat to the United States, Latin America tends to rank fairly low on force allocation priorities," wrote former US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) head Adm. Kurt Tidd in a March 2016 posture statement.

W. Alejandro Sanchez, a contributor to the Center for International Maritime Security, specializing in Latin American and Caribbean national security issues, told Military.com for a Thursday article that, despite Mattis' comments, "there was no visible increase to SOUTHCOM's budget or assets… The Navy didn't [even] give them those decommissioned frigates as they requested to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean."

"Historically, the US military has had two missions in Latin America: combating communism and fighting the war on drugs," journalist and author Daniel Lazare told Sputnik Thursday. "Both have wreaked endless havoc."

"The first led to the Contra war against the Sandinistas, a counter-insurgency effort in Guatemala that killed some 200,000 to 250,000 people in all, plus coups in Chile, Brazil, etc. The second has triggered vast crime waves that have inundated Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay and other countries as well. It's a rampage of destruction unlike anything else in the world outside of the Middle East," Lazare said.

"So when Mattis calls for yet another military 'partnership,' my heart sinks," Lazare said. "What makes it particularly galling is that it is prompted by the most tentative actions on the part of Russia and China, e.g. a mild expression of support for Venezuela on the one hand and the dispatching of a medical ship to neighboring Colombia on the other."

"One would think that a great power would barely notice such things. But the US is so jealous of its monopoly on chaos that it bristles at the slightest challenge."

In September, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy hospital ship Peace Ark put into port at La Guaira, Venezuela, as part of its 11-nation "Mission Harmony" tour. Most of the other nations were Pacific island countries, the Navy Times reported. The publication suggested the week-long stopover was intended as a riposte to the Comfort's deployment to Colombia the previous month.

Then in mid-December, two Russian Air Force Tu-160 supersonic bombers flew to Venezuela to practice drills in some decidedly non-Russian climates. The huge bombers, nicknamed "White Swans," conducted basic exercises in high humidity and temperature conditions, Sputnik reported at the time, departing five days after their arrival.

It wasn't the first time Russian bombers had visited the Caribbean nation, but neighboring Colombia and the US were apoplectic about their presence. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scolded Russia for sending its bombers "halfway around the world to Venezuela," and Colombian President Ivan Duque called the move unfriendly.

Foreign Policy noted that China's primary interest in the region is tapping its vast oil reserves and bolstering anti-American sentiment. "A master at leveraging trade and direct economic investment for geopolitical gains," the publication writes, China has now become the primary destination for exports from seven Latin American countries and in five has become their single largest export market.

"The Colombians are concerned that the US has been leaving the region behind, and it has created a void, this vacuum to fill," Moises Rendon, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Foreign Policy. Colombia "can't say no to China, because they are providing opportunities and investment, [while] the US is not providing the same types of opportunities."

Russia, meanwhile, has found a regional niche in weapons deals, supplying Venezuela and Bolivia with hardware, the latter of which, ironically enough, acquired them to combat drug trafficking — exactly how the US justifies its presence in the Andean region.

Brazil, another of the BRICS emerging industrial nations (which also include Russia, India, China and South Africa), has recently turned away from its partnerships with those nations with the election of President Jair Bolsonaro late last year.

Bolsonaro, who was sworn into office on Tuesday, ran on an anti-Chinese position, saying that "China owns the whole country," the Washington Post reported. Brazil is one of the nations whose top trading partner is China. The far-right Bolsonaro has also positioned himself as an anti-socialist warrior, saving Brazil from "cultural Marxism" and vowing opposition to the Bolivarian project in Venezuela being led by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela as well as other leftist governments in the region such as Bolivia and Nicaragua, collectively known as the "Pink Tide."

US leaders wasted no time celebrating their new eager partner.

Nikki Haley, although departing from the Trump administration, voiced her support for Bolsonaro, a former army officer and vocal supporter of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for decades. Pompeo, likewise, celebrated Bolsonaro's "joint commitment" to US policy in the region.

Ironically, though, the US trade war with China has increased economic ties between Brazil and China, with the huge soybean tariffs turning Brazil into China's largest supplier of the crop, as well as boosting its sales of iron and steel, the Post noted.

South Africa
Source: www.sanews.gov.za

International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule will pay an official visit to India from 6 - 10 January 2019.

Mhaule will be attending the Raisina Dialogue taking place in New Delhi from 8-10 January 2019.

The Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship conference of geopolitics and geo-economics and annually attracts high-level participants from all over the world.

The theme for the 2019 edition of the Conference will be: "A World Reorder: New Geometries, Fluid Partnerships, Uncertain Outcomes".

"The African Continent will receive significant focus during the conference and Deputy Minister Mhaule will utilise the platform of the Conference to highlight key issues at the heart of South Africa's foreign policy including advancing the African Agenda, regional integration and conflict prevention and peace-building," DIRCO said on Friday.

During the visit, Mhaule will also have an opportunity to engage with her Indian counterpart, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, General Dr VK Singh.

According to the department the meeting will focus on issues of mutual interest such as further enhancing the trade and commercial relationship between South Africa and India, growing foreign direct investment and partnering in areas beneficial for both countries, such as skills exchange.

Also in the international arena, the two countries share a common vision on a range of global issues and closely cooperate in various multilateral fora, such as BRICS, IBSA, G20 and IORA.

Mhaule will also have high-level meetings with business sector representatives and Think Tanks in Mumbai to promote South Africa as a destination for trade, investment and tourism and to advance our foreign policy objectives.

South Africa and India enjoy a Strategic Partnership and bilateral relations are anchored by a deep and shared history of friendship and solidarity.

During 2018, the two countries celebrated 25 years of diplomatic relations and the meeting between President Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Modi on the margins of the BRICS Summit in July 2018 served to further emphasise the important nature of the relationship in enhancing the national objectives of both countries.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is also expected to pay a State Visit to India later this month. – SAnews.gov.za

Russia
Source: en.kremlin.ru

In his message to President of the Republic of Abkhazia Raul Khadjimba, Vladimir Putin noted that the outgoing year marked the 10^th anniversary of Abkhazia's recognition by the Russian Federation and expressed confidence in the continued expansion of bilateral relations of alliance and strategic partnership for the benefit of the two countries' fraternal peoples in the interest of strengthening peace and ensuring stability in the Caucasus.

Vladimir Putin also sent greetings to President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissianand Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

The Russian President stressed that the two countries' bilateral relations are based on centuries-old traditions of friendship and cultural and spiritual affinity and expressed confidence in the further strengthening of allied ties, constructive cooperation and partnership between Russia and Armenia as part of Eurasian integration processes, which fully meet the interests of the two states' fraternal peoples and serve to enhance regional stability and security.

In a message to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the President of Russia noted that 2018 was a highly productive year for Russia-Azerbaijan relations and pointed out advances in mutually beneficial cooperation across various spheres and political dialogue at all levels.

The Russian leader also expressed confidence that the implementation of the bilateral agreements signed during the substantive and constructive talks in Moscow, Sochi and Baku will further enhance the strategic partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan.

In his greetings to President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Russia noted that based on good traditions of friendship and neighbourly relations, Russian-Belarusian cooperation is going from strength to strength in the political, economic, cultural and other spheres, and that efforts are being undertaken to strengthen the Union State and to ensure close coordination of the efforts within the Eurasian Economic Union, the CIS and the CSTO.

Vladimir Putin also expressed confidence that further strengthening of the strategic partnership between Russia and Belarus fully meets the interests of the two brotherly nations.

The President heartily wished Mr Lukashenko good health, prosperity and success, and all Belarusian citizens happiness and prosperity.

Addressing President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of Russia stressed that the Russian-Kazakhstani strategic partnership and alliance are developing dynamically and that the trade, economic, energy, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation is expanding, with interregional cooperation on the rise as well. "Moscow and Astana play an active role in promoting integration processes in the Eurasian space," the Russian leader noted.

Vladimir Putin also expressed confidence that implementing the ambitious plans seeking to build up the entire range of Russian-Kazakhstani relations would enhance the well-being of the brotherly nations and serve the interests of ensuring regional stability and security.

In a message addressed to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov, the Russian leader praised the alliance and strategic partnership between Russia and Kyrgyzstan and expressed confidence that the joint work to build up the entire complex of bilateral relations and strengthen constructive cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian integration processes will continue in the interests of the two countries' peoples and the entire region.

In his greetings to President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon, the President of Russia expressed hope that the traditions of friendship and spiritual affinity that bind the peoples of the two countries will continue to serve as the basis for promoting constructive cooperation between Russia and Moldova and partnership within the CIS space.

Vladimir Putin also sent greetings to President of the Republic of South Ossetia Anatoly Bibilov, in which he noted that the outgoing year was marked by an important event: the 10^thanniversary of Russia's recognition of South Ossetia's independence. The President of Russia expressed confidence that further development of Russia-South Ossetia relations in the spirit of alliance and mutually beneficial partnership is in the interests of the fraternal peoples of the two countries and in line with the strengthening of peace and stability in South Caucasus.

In a message to President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Vladimir Putin noted the dynamic development of Russia-Tajikistan relations in the spirit of alliance and strategic partnership and expressed confidence in the success of joint work seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural and many other areas, as well as to resolve important issues on the regional agenda for the benefit of the friendly peoples of the two countries in the interests of ensuring security and stability in Central Asia.

Addressing President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the President of Russia emphasised that the recent entry into force of the Treaty on Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan has opened up new opportunities for strengthening mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in political, trade, economic, energy, cultural and many other areas and, undoubtedly, meets the aspirations of the friendly peoples of the two countries.

In his greetings to President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia-Uzbekistan relations of strategic partnership and alliance are thriving. "The talks in Tashkent contributed to expanding bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, investment and military-technical spheres, as well as agriculture and peaceful use of nuclear energy," the Russian President noted.

Vladimir Putin also expressed confidence that through joint efforts Russia and Uzbekistan will be able to continue to successfully build up mutually beneficial ties across all areas, which fully meets the interests of the two countries and contributes to consolidating peace, security and stability in the Central Asian region.

In a message of greetings to President of the Argentine Republic Mauricio Macri, the Russian leader stressed that the recent talks in Buenos Aires fully reaffirmed the friendly and constructive nature of Russia-Argentina relations. Vladimir Putin also expressed confidence that the implementation of the agreements reached will contribute to the further expansion of the entire range of bilateral relations in the spirit of a comprehensive strategic partnership and in the interests of strengthening international security and stability.

The President of Russia sent greetings to President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Michel Temer and President-elect of the Federative Republic of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro. In connection with the end of Michel Temer's tenure as head of state, Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude for constructive cooperation and mutual understanding between the two leaders during the period of joint work, and highly praised his efforts to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Addressing Jair Bolsonaro, the Russian leader noted that relations between Russia and Brazil are productively developing in the spirit of strategic partnership as the countries are cooperating in politics, trade, the economy, energy and culture and are coordinating their efforts in addressing important regional and global matters.

Vladimir Putin also reaffirmed his readiness to work together in order to build up cooperation between Russia and Brazil, both with regard to the bilateral and international agenda, including in BRICS, where Brazil will preside next year.

The Russian President also congratulated Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the occasion of his birthday and wished him Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, wishing him and the people of Canada happiness and prosperity.

Vladimir Putin sent New Year and the upcoming Spring Festival greetings to President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping. "The relations of comprehensive trust-based partnership and strategic interaction between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China have reached an unprecedented level," the message says.

The President of Russia stressed the existence of an ongoing substantive political dialogue, the dynamic growth of bilateral trade, the successful launch of the reciprocal years of region-to-region cooperation and the good results of coordinating the efforts by Moscow and Beijing in addressing important regional and global issues. The Russian leader also expressed confidence that effective joint work on the bilateral and international agenda will continue in the coming year, which will mark the 70^th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Vladimir Putin wished Xi Jinping good health, happiness and every success, and the friendly Chinese people happiness and prosperity.

Vladimir Putin sent Christmas and New Year greetings to President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, in which he noted her personal focus on matters of bilateral cooperation, largely due to which relations between Russia and Croatia are developing in a constructive manner, and expressed his conviction that, by joint efforts, they will be able to further strengthen mutually beneficial Russia-Croatia ties for the benefit of the two countries and all of Europe.

In his messages of greetings to Chairman of the State Council and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba Raul Castro on the occasion of the 60^thanniversary of the Cuban revolution, as well as Christmas and New Year, the President of Russia stressed that Cuba is Russia's strategic partner and reliable ally. In addition, Vladimir Putin noted with satisfaction that bilateral relations are on the rise, which was reiterated in full by the Cuban Chairman of the State Council's recent visit to Moscow. The Russian President also said that he hopes to continue joint work on the bilateral and international agenda and wished happiness and prosperity to the leaders and the friendly people of Cuba.

In his greeting message to President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman, the Russian leader praised his efforts to preserve constructive relations between the two countries and expressed confidence that further development of cooperation based on mutual respect and mutual benefit meets the aspirations of the peoples of Russia and the Czech Republic and serves to strengthen stability and security in Europe.

In his message to President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö, Vladimir Putin stressed that the recent meetings between the two leaders in Helsinki and Sochi were indicative of the successful and dynamic development of neighbourly Russian-Finnish relations, and expressed hope for continued joint work to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in politics, trade, economy, culture and other areas.

The President of Russia also sent Christmas and New Year greetings to President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron. "Russian-French relations have great potential, which was confirmed by our recent meetings and talks," the Russian President said in his message. "I count on our continued joint work to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries in various spheres, as well as to resolve important issues on the regional and global agenda."

In his message to Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, the President of Russia noted the significant experience of cooperation between the two countries in various spheres and expressed hope for continued joint work on the bilateral and international agendas next year, in particular, the successful implementation of major joint projects in the economy, culture, science and education. Vladimir Putin stressed that Russian-German cooperation is of great importance not only for the peoples of the two countries, but for the rest of Europe as well.

The President of Russia also sent a message of greetings to Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Alexis Tsipras in which he expressed appreciation for a thorough exchange of views on bilateral and international issues that took place during the Greek leader's recent visit to Moscow. "I am convinced that the interests of the peoples of Russia and Greece, united by centuries-old traditions of cultural and spiritual affinity, will be best served by further strengthening the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in politics, the economy, culture and other spheres," the message reads.

In his greetings to Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, the Russian President noted that significant progress has been achieved in Russia-Hungary relations and new frontiers of cooperation have been reached. He also stressed that he counts on continued joint efforts to strengthen bilateral ties in various areas.

In his New Year greeting messages to President of the Republic of India Ram Nath Kovindand Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, the President of Russia emphasised that Russia-India relations are developing in a constructive and dynamic manner, and the agreements reached at the October summit in New Delhi contribute to strengthening privileged strategic partnership between our countries.

Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that joint efforts will lead to further growth of mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas and greater coordination of efforts on key issues on the regional and global agenda within the UN, BRICS, the SCO, the G20 and other multilateral bodies.

In his greeting message to Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin noted that the two countries have gained considerable experience in cooperation in various spheres and expressed hope that in the upcoming year Russian-Israeli relations will be developing in a constructive manner as a partnership for the benefit of the peoples of both states and in the interest of strengthening peace, security and stability in the Middle East.

In his greeting messages to President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic Giuseppe Conte, the President of Russia noted that the recent talks in Moscow confirmed the importance of Russian-Italian cooperation in strengthening security and stability in Europe.

The Russian leader stressed that Russia attaches great importance to maintaining constructive partnership relations with Italy and implementing mutually beneficial joint projects in trade, the economy, investment, energy, culture and other areas. Vladimir Putin expressed hope that the multifaceted bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the two nations and in the interests of strengthening security and stability in Europe will expand in 2019.

In his heartfelt New Year greeting to Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, the President of Russia stressed that Russian-Japanese relations have significant potential, which was fully confirmed during recent meetings and talks between the leaders of the two countries. "I am counting on continued constructive dialogue, including on expanding the legal framework for bilateral cooperation and implementing joint economic projects in Russia's Far East, as well as on international matters, in particular, with due account of Japan's presidency of the G20," Vladimir Putin noted in his message.

In his address to President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, the President of Russia noted that the substantive talks held in Moscow and Singapore gave a significant impetus to constructive bilateral ties in various areas. Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that, building on existing achievements, joint efforts will lead to further strengthening of interaction between Russia and the Republic of Korea and close coordination in addressing important regional and international issues, which undoubtedly meets the interests of the two countries' peoples and is in line with the efforts to consolidate peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia in general.

In his Christmas and New Year greeting to Prince Albert II of Monaco, the President of Russia expressed hope that Russia-Monaco cooperation will be enriched with new exciting joint initiatives and projects in 2019.

In the New Year greetings to President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, the Russian President noted the dynamic development of bilateral relations in the spirit of strategic partnership and expressed confidence that the upcoming meeting in Belgrade will serve to further expand mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and Serbia across various spheres.

The Russian leader wished Aleksandar Vucic, his family and friends happiness, good health and success, and the fraternal people of Serbia happiness and prosperity.

In his address to President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor, the President of Russia noted that Russia-Slovenia relations are developing in a constructive manner, in particular, cooperation in trade, the economy and culture is expanding, and the cross seasons of culture were a success. The Russian President also expressed his belief that further strengthening of bilateral ties is in the interests of the two countries' peoples.

In his message of greetings to President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, the Russian leader stressed that Russia-South Africa relations were developing dynamically in various spheres in 2018, which was fully confirmed by the leaders' talks in Johannesburg. "Russia and South Africa together make a significant contribution to building a fair, democratic system of international relations," the message says.

Vladimir Putin also expressed confidence in continued joint work to build up bilateral ties in the spirit of strategic partnership and effective coordination of efforts within the UN, the G20, BRICS and other multilateral organisations, which meets the core interests of the two nations and contributes to consolidating regional and global security.

The President of Russia sent his heartfelt wishes of happiness, prosperity and success to King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, other members of the royal family and all Spanish people, stressing that he hopes the Russian-Spanish friendship and mutual respect will develop constructively in the coming 2019 for the benefit of the peoples of the two states and entire Europe.

Vladimir Putin also sent a message to President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad, in which he stressed that Russia will continue to provide all-round assistance to the government and people of Syria in their fight against terrorism and efforts to protect state sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Russian leader wished the Syrian people the earliest return to peaceful and prosperous life.

The President of Russia sent New Year greetings to President of the Turkish Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he noted that he was pleased with the auspicious development of Russia-Turkey relations.

"The construction of the first unit of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant has begun and the offshore section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline has been built. New, promising areas of bilateral cooperation have been outlined," the message says. The Russian leader stressed that through their joined efforts, Moscow and Ankara are making a decisive contribution to fighting terrorism in Syria and advancing the process of political settlement in that country.

Vladimir Putin expressed his firm belief that the work on building mutually beneficial ties across all areas for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries in the interest of strengthening peace, security and stability on the Eurasian continent will continue.

The President also sent greetings to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Prime Minister Theresa May, in which he wished them and their family members good health, happiness and every success, and the British people well-being and prosperity.

In a Christmas and New Year greeting message to President of the United States of America Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia-US relations are the most important factor behind ensuring strategic stability and international security, and reaffirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with the United States on the most extensive agenda.

In his Christmas and New Year greetings to His Holiness Pope Francis, Vladimir Putin expressed hope for further strengthening of the relations between Russia and the Vatican in order to protect universal values, to uphold the ideals of justice and peace in the world and to promote dialogue between various religions.

In a message to President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, the President of Russia noted that recent talks in Moscow confirmed the proximity of the two countries' positions on key issues of the international agenda and made it possible to outline steps to expand mutually beneficial cooperation. The Russian leader expressed confidence that the agreements reached would further strengthen strategic partnership between Russia and Venezuela.

The President also sent New Year greetings to General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong. Vladimir Putin noted in the message that the relations between our countries have reached a high level that was fully confirmed during the Vietnamese leader's recent visit to Russia.

The President also expressed his belief that successful implementation of major joint projects in various fields, as well as the planned Year of Russia in Vietnam and Year of Vietnam in Russia will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two states.

The President of the Russian Federation also sent greetings to a number of leaders of international organisations, in particular, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde, Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, honorary member of the International Olympic Committee Jean-Claude Killy, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation Rene Fasel and President of the International Judo Federation Marius Vizer.

In addition, the Russian leader wished Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, thanking him for his assistance in preparing and hosting the World Cup in Russia – an event that became, according to the message, "a true celebration for millions of football fans around the world."

Vladimir Putin also sent greetings to a number of former heads of state and government and political figures, in particular, Almazbek Atambayev, Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Silvio Berlusconi, George W. Bush, Romano Prodi, Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Fillon, Tarja Halonen, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and Gerhard Schröder.

South Africa
Author: Linda Ensor
Source: www.businesslive.co.za

The finance minister gave the figure in response to a DA question about the benefit the bank brings to SA

The New Development Bank has already approved $680m (about R9.8bn) in project financing for SA, finance minister Tito Mboweni has disclosed in a written reply to a parliamentary question.

The minister was replying to a question by DA MP Alan McLoughlin who wanted to know what benefit SA had derived from being a partner of the New Development Bank, a joint project by the Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA (Brics) trade group.

There has been criticism that SA does not derive as much benefit as other countries from the bank, but its president KV Kamath has insisted in media interviews that the bank wants to be equitable in its lending to its five member countries.

In addition to the project financing, Mboweni noted that the bank employs 18 South African professionals both at the Africa Regional Centre in Sandown and at the bank's headquarters in Shanghai, China.

Questioned about the reported move by China to re-introduce a gold standard for the Chinese yuan, Mboweni said this has not happened and the matter has not been discussed under the auspices of the Brics finance ministers' and central bank governors' meetings.

The projects funded by the New Development Bank in SA include a $200m loan to Transnet to rehabilitate its container terminals in Durban. In May, it also activated a $180m dormant loan to Eskom for use in building transmission lines and a sub-station for the Soweto area to integrate renewable-energy projects from independent power producers (IPPs).