Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with his South African counterpart Ronald Lamola in Johannesburg

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has discussed the expansion of trade and economic ties with his South African counterpart Ronald Lamola, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Friday.

On the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, the top diplomats underscored the need for closer foreign policy coordination via the UN as well as international platforms such as BRICS and G20, while highlighting the significance of the countries' bilateral dialogue in global diplomatic efforts.

"During the meeting, which was held in a constructive atmosphere, the ministers discussed topical issues of the development of bilateral strategic partnership relations, with an emphasis on expanding trade and economic ties," the Russian Foreign Ministry announced.

Lavrov and Lamola also exchanged views on pressing international issues, paying particular attention to the Palestinian crisis and broader developments in the Middle East and North Africa. They acknowledged the need for a shared approach to conflict resolution across the African continent and stressed the role of the African Union in maintaining stability and security.

Lavrov provided his South African counterpart with insights from recent Russian-US negotiations on Ukraine, which were held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last week. He reiterated Moscow's stance that resolving the crisis necessitates that the parties address its root causes, which, according to him, had been orchestrated by NATO and the EU leadership.

On Thursday, Lavrov met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. According to Russia's Foreign Ministry, discussions focused on strengthening the Russian-South African partnership, particularly with regards to political, trade, economic, and scientific-technical cooperation. Both sides also highlighted potential projects in space exploration and emphasized continued collaboration in global forums.

The talks included a discussion of the recent US-Russia talks on the Ukraine conflict. Lavrov and Ramaphosa reaffirmed their commitment to constructive dialogue on international and regional issues, including "constructive cooperation" on Ukraine.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Pretoria and its African partners to pressure Moscow to pursue a "comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine."

READ MORE: Lavrov briefs African leader on Russia-US talks

In an interview with Izvestia, Ramaphosa stressed South Africa's commitment to maintaining ties with Russia, alongside other partners like the UK, France, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. He emphasized that excluding any nation from dialogue is not part of his country's foreign policy approach.

(RT.com)