Hon. Chairperson of the Council of the Federation, Ms. Valentina Matviyenko,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Ladies and gentlemen
It is my distinct pleasure to address your august House today in this beautiful city of Moscow.
We take this opportunity to express on behalf of our Parliament and the people of South Africa our sincere gratitude to the Council of the Federation and the esteemed Chairperson of the Council of Federation together with the Chamber of Deputies for extending this important invitation.

We want to congratulate the great legions of the Russian people who in 1945 delivered the great victory against Nazism. We celebrate those who fought in the "Great Patriotic War", and honour the millions of people around the world who dedicated their lives to building a much better, and egalitarian world.
The times we live in are extraordinary for the complexity of the challenges that confront us amongst others poverty, conflict, terrorism, migration, displacement, climate change, disasters, and environmental degradation.

We are also concerned as South Africa with the dire humanitarian situation that affects the people of Palestine and Western Sahara. We are extremely uncomfortable with the situation which is affecting Syria especially the vulnerable, women, the elderly and children. The conflict is taking too many lives and sow the widest of instability.

Madam Chairperson, let me also pay homage to the people of Russia who were always in the frontline for the battles of humanity and those who shared the struggle of apartheid with us.

The relations between the countries are unique and rich in history. It started in 1898 in the then pre-revolutionary Russia which established diplomatic ties with the then republic of the Transvaal. It continued after the 1917 revolution albeit initially in a limited form. During the USSR inter-governmental relations with South Africa were established during the Second World War, when South Africa joined the allied forces to fight against Nazism.

The selfless and generous gesture of solidarity and support by the Russian people will always be cherished by Parliament and the people of South Africa. We are appreciative of the solidarity and support provided to us when we were yearning for freedom.

Honourable Members, in 1992 in the middle of the transitional arrangements, diplomatic relations were established between our two countries.  First the Deputy President Thabo Mbeki arrived in Russia in 1998.President Nelson Mandela came in April 1999 and signed the Declaration on Principles of Friendly Relations and Partnership between South Africa and Russia.

President Putin visited South Africa in 2006, the first visit of the Russian head of state to Africa. He held various meetings between the states and was warmly received by Presiding Officers of my Parliament. A number of inter-governmental agreements and contractual documents were signed between large companies of both countries during this visit.

Today South Africa and Russian cooperate on international issues at various levels. The two countries acknowledge the necessity to build a more just system of international relations based on sovereign equality of all states and the peoples; and the supremacy of the law under the central role of a hopefully reformed United Nations.

Members, currently there are 40 bilateral agreements between the two countries in various sectors. Today the South Africa-Russia relations are characterised by responsibility, mutual cooperation and coordination in international relations.

We meet at a crucial point in our common efforts to ensure a more equitable world order that is better able to address the development needs and challenges of our respective peoples. We regard close cooperation between the parliaments as an important resource, as this will enhance our efforts to influence the international arena.

South Africa works closely with the African Union to implement its Agenda 2063. We have undertaken to place the interests of our continent in the centre of our democratic foreign policy.

We want to ensure that in South Africa a better life that we seek for ourselves, is also translated into concrete actions that would lead to a better world and a better Africa.

We have also channelled our National Development Plan, which is guided by our country is 2030 vision which calls for us to build a resilient economy and enjoins us to address the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. In essence, our foreign policy is informed and guided by our domestic imperatives.

The role that we play as a country in peace and security initiatives in the continent is visible. We are continuously playing a very active part in the prevention, management and resolution of conflict.

We have deployed resources both directly and through our multilateral institutions such as SADC, AU and the UN to strengthen our mediation efforts in Zimbabwe, Burundi, Madagascar, Sudan, Ivory Coast and Libya amongst others.

We have a commitment to post conflict reconstruction and development in countries such as Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Comoros and Central Africa Republic to name just a few.
South Africa has striven to improve working relations between the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council.

In this regard, we have contributed personnel to multinational peace and security initiatives in support of regional AU and UN peace missions amongst others Lesotho, Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Sudan and the DRC.

Honourable Chairperson, South Africa believes in the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation between the multipolar systems of international relations and I am happy that we share the same sentiments with Russia.

The rationale for the establishment of the BRICS family was anchored under a shared vision to pursue the restructuring of the global political, economic and financial architecture into one that is more equitable, balanced and rests on the important pillars of multilateralism.

South Africa was admitted to the BRIC Forum in April 2010 and as the only African country in the family of BRICS; our geo-strategic importance and influence just has much to offer.

On a bilateral level, we have signed the joint declaration on the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This declaration commits the countries to enhancing co-operation in various fields, including political, trade and industry, parliamentary, defence, science and technology, and in just people to people relations.

We share a common vision with other members of BRICS and it is in this vision that we shall continue to pursue our economic cooperation, sharing of technical expertise, knowledge and experience. We remain ready to work with the people of Russia to safeguard both countries’ interest.

The partnership encompasses cooperation in a number of developmental areas including agriculture, renewable energy, skills training, health, peace and security and infrastructure development.

The promotion of peace and security, firstly in our region, in the continent, and by extension in the world remains a major preoccupation of our multilateral diplomacy as South Africa.

Honourable Chairperson, parliamentary diplomacy is reaching a higher level of quality, becoming an effective instrument for negotiating and developing consensus. Inter-regional relations are more important for development of economic cooperation. I am convinced that as the parliamentarians our contribution for our countries should take a more substantial role. We must make sure that we tighten and strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

We have had inter visits between the Russian and South African Parliaments. We have in 2014, under the leadership of the deputy Chairperson of this Council, signed a memoranda of understanding. We are very proud to say that we choose to follow every article in the memorandum of understanding between us.

We take that Honourable Members we should seize the opportunity of having launched the BRICS Parliamentary forum in 2015 here in Moscow. We have undertaken to scrutinise not only the matters of the Executive, but to hold them to account, and to ensure that they cannot sign agreements and treaties that will go into force without making it our business as to interrogate them as parliaments.

We should also be able to put interest, suggestions and questions to the Executive to make sure that everything that we have promised the peoples under the BRICS forum happen. We have a popular mandate, not only to make laws, but to hold governments to account.

Madam Chairperson, women hold up half the sky, but still we face discrimination and chronic violence. We must do more to end the discrimination against women to advance their participation in decision making.

Last year in September, we all collectively committed to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We said the global landscape should be redefined and be more enabling and inclusive. We need to expand the opportunities in politics, business and far beyond.

But today, men still make up 78% of parliamentarians, they make up 93% of elected heads of State, 82% of government and 95% of corporate executives, worldwide. So we have a lot of work to do.

Our citizens expect us as parliamentarians to stand up for the implementation of the fundamental principles that we have committed to and which is gender equality, self-realisation and people expressing themselves.

During the 50th Anniversary of the UN, the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro said and I quote  “We lay claim to a world without hegemonism, without nuclear weapons, without interventionism, without racism, without national or religious hatred, without outrageous acts against the sovereignty of any country, with respect for the independence and self-determination of the peoples, without universal models that totally disregard the traditions and culture of all elements of humanity, without ruthless blockades that cause the death of men, women and children, youths and elders”.
“We lay claim to a world of peace, justice, and dignity where everyone, without exception, has the right to well-being and life”.

To attain the aforementioned is the challenge that we as parliaments as a whole truly face; will represent our peoples; and that democracy is something we should pursue without fear or favour. Democracy, development and substantive equality are intertwined.

Let me close by congratulating the people of Russia for turning out in numbers to vote in a free and fair election in the recent September elections. Indeed this is the assurance that Russia is a stable multi-party democracy with a political system that responds to the need of its electorates.

A strong parliament within provide a sound foundation for democracy and with that and peace we can just never go wrong.

I thank you!