KAZAN, October 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Governor's Palace in the Kazan Kremlin on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

The last time Putin and Ramaphosa met was in 2023, when the South African leader visited Russia twice - once in June for the African peace initiative and again in July for the Russia-Africa summit. This year, the two presidents have spoken by phone twice.

Ahead of the talks, the Kremlin highlighted that "Russia and South Africa are bound by strong ties of friendship and cooperation, rooted in their shared history, particularly during the struggle against the apartheid regime." Moscow and Pretoria actively collaborate on political, economic, and humanitarian issues, and together advocate for the establishment of a just, multipolar world order.