Kiev’s chief envoy in Pretoria Liubov Abravitova says she’s looking for South Africa to support punitive measures against Moscow’s violation of international law.

Liubov Abravitova  says South Africa is forced  to take a more considered view of international affairs as it takes up its rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council for the third time.

She’s expecting dramatically increased support for sanctions against Russia for violating international law by annexing Crimea in its aggression against Ukraine

She’s looking to South Africa to support tough measures like a trade boycott, despite its close ties with Russia through the BRICS grouping.

At very least she would expect South Africa to abstain in a vote on sanctions against Russia.

Abravitova says she building a permanent channel of communication with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to pass on Ukraine’s message to South Africa

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As South Africa prepares to take up its rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council, leaders of the richest nations on the planet will see how reacts to the most burning political issues it faces.

The G20 summit formed 20 years ago takes cardinal decisions on pressing political and economic matters.

It’s first meeting in Latin America’s expected to deal with growing protectionism, populism and nationalism dominating the international agenda.

In particular the Russian seizure of Ukranian ship and sailors in declared neutral waters between their countries will be discussed

South Africa has close historical ties with Russia and shares membership of the BRICS grouping.

So will President Cyril Ramaphosa use the moral high ground post-apartheid South Africa occupies to take Russia to task over its aggression?

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The gathering of the world’s richest leaders will focus heavily on Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian sailors in neutral water between their countries.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, who’ll attend a meeting of G20 peers, and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu will accompany President Cyril Ramaphosa in Argentina on Friday and Saturday.

South Africa’s the only African member of the G20 that encompasses 85% of global GDP, 80% of world trade and two thirds of the earth’s population.

The South African leader will host a summit of BRICS leaders on the fringes of the G20 gathering.

South Africa hands over the chair of BRICS to Brazil at the beginning of 2019.

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He’s also lauded the Brazilian people for conducting a successful  election.

Far right-winger Jair Bolsonaro is politically a polar opposite of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Nevertheless, the South African leader points to the strong bilateral ties between the two southern hemisphere powers based on human rights, peace and social progress.

Brazil and South Africa share membership of the important BRICS and IBSA formations.

Bolsonaro, with a proudly  authoritarian approach  that attracted Brazilian voters weary of crime and corruption,  will have to find a way to fit into the groupings of developing countries.

Whatever political differences their members may have, they share very pressing economic challenges.

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At their meeting in Pretoria preparing for the summit of leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa next month, they carefully avoided naming the US president in their criticism.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu tried to hand off a question about US trade tariffs by saying she and her counterparts had not discussed individual countries.

Her BRICS counterparts were having none of it.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang YI said BRICS must form a common position and respond vigorously to protectionism s

His Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj BRICS promoted the concept of a global family. 

“The multilateral system is  like a family and if anyone speaks of protectionism we would join in condemning it,” she said.

Protectionism  is expected to become a  hot button issue at the full BRICS in Sandton next month.

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Indian premier Narendra Modi has the best performing economy of the five leaders at the summit.
He’s tweeted on how delighted he is to be at the gathering, expected to be dominated by discussions on enhancing cooperation in the economic area,
and how confident he is of it succeeding.
With the $100 billion BRICS Development Bank already set up, the summit could also look at the possibility of starting trade and credit facility in local currency.

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The agreements signed are between Russia’s state-run nuclear energy company Rosatom and South Africa’s department of energy.

They call for joint projects to educate and encourage public acceptance of nuclear power in South Africa.

They will also include programmes for training specialists in South Africa’s nuclear industry.

South Africa plans to build six new nuclear power plants by 2030 at an estimated cost of up to a trillion rand.
Analysts are wondering if it can afford this.

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