Moscow states a dynamic development of economic contacts between Russia and South Africa

The trade and economic relations between Russia and South Africa are on the rise. This opinion was expressed by experts of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade in the conversation with the RIA Novosti correspondent in connection with the coming visit to the Republic of South Africa by Chairman of the Russian government Mikhail Kasyanov.

The trade between the two countries in the first six months of this year amounted to 65.2 million dollars which, in the opinion of the Russian experts, is not bad at all, taking into consideration that the figure for 2001 was 81 million dollars.

In the first quarter this year, Russia exported goods to South Africa to a sum of 37.9 million dollars. Its exports included above all fuel and oil products (thirty percent of all deliveries), fertilizers (twenty percent), ferrous metals (about thirty percent), optical instruments and apparatus, transport vehicles, printed matter, products of inorganic chemistry and equipment for the nuclear power industry.

Russia's import from South Africa amounted to 27.3 million dollars in the first quarter of this year. It imported mainly ore concentrate and slags, as well as products of ferrous metallurgy, machines and equipment, sugar, fruits, tobacco and citrus fruits.