MOSCOW, March 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has had a telephone conversation with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa and discussed cooperation between the two countries in trade, economic, energy and humanitarian areas with him, the press service of the Kremlin said.
"A number of issues related to practical cooperation in the trade, economic, energy and humanitarian areas were discussed," according to a statement released following the conversation.
Putin and Ramaphosa expressed "satisfaction with the level of strategic partnership between the two countries that has been reached," the press service noted.
The sides also discussed cooperation within BRICS in a new extended format, according to the statement.
"In the context of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship that passed from South Africa, the issue of cooperation within the integration in a new extended format was discussed," the statement reads.