Russian Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces Colonel-General Oleg Salyukov discussed with his South African counterpart Lawrence Mbatha ways of enhancing military cooperation and increasing the combat readiness of the armed forces of the two nations, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
At the beginning of the visit, the South African delegation laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Gardens. The official part of the bilateral talks took place in the General Command of the Russian Ground Forces.
The parties in particular touched upon the issues of military cooperation and coordination, aimed at enhancing the combat readiness of the forces.
"During the meeting of military leaders, agreements were reached on strengthening cooperation between ground forces in various fields," the ministry said.
During the visit, the South African delegation also visited military educational establishments of the Russian ground forces and enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
The visit comes amid increasing tension between South Africa and the US, with the latter accusing Pretoria of supplying weapons to the Russian army. Following the allegations made by the US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety last week, the country government commented on the issue, stating that these statements undermine the spirit of Pretoria-Washington relations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa denied the allegations, noting that the matter was "being looked into." He also explained that since the onset of the Russian special military in Ukraine, South Africa has been under "extraordinary pressure" to abandon its position of being neutral and choose sides in the "competition between world powers."
Last week, President Ramaphosa had a telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the leaders discussed topical issues of Russian-South African relations of strategic partnership, expressing a desire "to further step up mutually beneficial ties in various areas."