Parliament, Monday, 20 March 2023 – National Assembly (NA) Speaker, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson, Mr Amos Masondo, along with a multi-party Members of Parliament (MPs) delegation are taking part in the second International Parliamentary Conference, themed "Russia – Africa in a Multipolar World". The conference is organized by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in Moscow from 18 to 21 March.

More than 40 high-ranking delegates from various African states are in attendance alongside their Russian counterparts. The conference aims to discuss the contribution of parliamentarians to the comprehensive development of cooperation with African states.

Members of the South African Parliamentary delegation include Mr Cedric Frolick, Mr Mamangase Nchabeleng, Ms Dorris Dlakude, Mr Kenneth Moiemang, Mr Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, and Ms Shahidabibi Shaikh.

The program of the conference includes a plenary session and four roundtable discussions. Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula and Chairperson Amos Masondo are participating in various strategic and topical discussions during the plenaries, while other delegates are taking part in roundtable discussions.

Mr Kwankwa and Mr Nchabeleng, together with Ms Dlakude and Mr Moiemang, are participating in Round Table 1 and 2, where Parliamentary support of Cooperation in the Scientific and Educational Sphere and Legislative Response to Economic Challenges is being discussed respectively.

The Speaker and Mr Frolick are leading discussions in Round Table 3 themed “Opportunities and Contributions of Parliaments on Indivisible Security”, while, Chairperson Masondo and Ms Shaik will participate in the Neocolonialism of the West: How to Prevent Repetition of History debate.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Speaker held bilateral meetings with the Chairman of the State Duma, Mr Vyacheslav Volodin, and conveyed South Africa's position on topical issues of the development of cooperation between Africa and Russia.

President of the Russian Federation, His Excellency Vladimir Putin, is also expected to address the conference today - 20 March 2023.

ISSUED BY PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA

Enquiries: Moloto Mothapo