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Russia, South Africa set to raise joint combat readiness — defense minister

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MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Russia and South Africa are set to implement a joint projects aiming to raise combat readiness of the two countries’ Armed Forces, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting with his South African counterpart Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Wednesday.

"We are content with positive dynamics of cooperation and with a mutual aspiration to implement the projects that aim to raise the combat readiness of our countries’ Armed Forces," Shoigu said, adding that contacts among defense officials had been on the rise, in particular between commanders-in-chief.

"We expect fruitful joint work in the current year at the Russian-South African seminar for defense sector officials and also at the Army 2016 international military and technical forum," he said.

Besides, Russia’s Defense Ministry is set to effectively implement the agreements signed in Moscow in October 2015 at the eighth session of the Russian-South African mixed intergovernmental commission in charge of military and technical cooperation, Shoigu said in conclusion.

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