Karelia and the Northern Cape Province of South Africa have agreed to strengthen cooperation between the regions
The First Deputy Head of the Republic – the Prime Minister of the Government of Karelia Andrei Sergeyev and the Prime Minister of the Northern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa Dr. Saul Zamani signed a memorandum of understanding between the regions of the two countries.
On August 28 and 29, the delegation from the Northern Cape Province of South Africa is on a working visit to Karelia. It is led by Dr. Saul Zamani, the Prime Minister of the South African largest province. The delegation program includes business meetings and visits to the republic leading industrial enterprises.
On August 28, the First Deputy Head of the Republic – the Prime Minister of the Government of Karelia Andrei Sergeyev met with the Prime Minister of the Northern Cape Province Dr. Saul Zamani in the building of the Government of Karelia.
– We already have quite good relations with the Republic of South Africa. We supply wood products, furniture, pulp, and paper. However, we are interested in further development of our cooperation, including other areas, – said Andrey Sergeev.
The Karelian Prime Minister noted that the republic has high scientific potential, designs and software created at Petrozavodsk State University are used by the Russian enterprises.
Following the meeting, the parties signed a memorandum of understanding between the Republic of Karelia of the Russian Federation and the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. This memorandum will provide additional impetus for further strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation between the regions of the two countries in a wide range of areas and will establish a foundation for the bilateral relations development. It is also worth noting that last year alone, the volume of the exports from Karelia to South Africa increased by 14 times compared to the same period in 2023.
– We see great potential for cooperation, particularly in the sectors such as forestry, mechanical engineering, and tourism. The Northern Cape Province has unique experience in stone processing and diamond mining as well as natural resources and tourism potential. The province boasts its own petroglyphs and rock paintings. And we are confident that our cooperation will be mutually beneficial, – emphasized Oleg Yermolaev, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Karelia.
Over the course of two days, the African delegation will visit a number of the leading enterprises in Karelia, including the Fire Robotics Engineering Center “EFER”, the Kondopoga Pulp and Paper Mill, the exercise equipment manufacturer MB Barbell, “Yagody Karelii”, and others.
