ST. PETERSBURG, July 29. /TASS/. Trade turnover between Russia and South Africa increased by 16.4% in 2022, reaching $1.3 billion, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with his counterpart from South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa.

"Trade and economic ties and cooperation are developing. In 2022, the trade turnover showed good growth of 16.4%. It seems to me that the absolute figures could be higher, but $1.3 billion is a decent indicator," he said.

On the whole, Russian-South African relations are based on the principles of strategic partnership, Putin noted.

"The interaction between our countries is becoming more intense and more diverse. A multi-level political dialogue has been established," he said.

The Russian President drew attention to several promising areas of cooperation, including energy, industry, the agricultural sector, science and innovation.

"We pay great attention to expanding ties in the field of education. For the 2023-2024 academic year, the quota of scholarships for South African students who study in Russian universities will almost triple - to almost 100 places," he added.