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Lavrov congratulates South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa with re-election as ANC leader

The Foreign Minister also thanked Ramaphosa for the opportunity to have a meeting

PRETORIA, January 23. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov relayed President Vladimir Putin’s congratulations to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with his re-election as the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) political party.

"President Putin sends his best wishes, congratulations with your re-election [as the leader] of the Party," Lavrov said during the meeting with Ramaphosa.

The Foreign Minister also thanked Ramaphosa for the opportunity to have a meeting.

Earlier, Lavrov held negotiations with the South’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor.

In December, Ramaphosa was re-elected as the ANC leader for the second term; he will lead the party for the next five years. The ANC congress rejected ex-President Jacob Zuma’s demand to recall Ramaphosa’s candidacy based on the fact that Zuma filed a lawsuit, accusing Ramaphosa of aiding a criminal offense.

The re-election as the ANC leader provides Ramaphosa with an option to become a presidential candidate during the upcoming 2024 election. Under the Constitution, the President of South Africa is the leader of a party that secured the most seats in the lower chamber of the parliament.

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