Vladimir Putin said that this international legal document embodies the moral foundation of bilateral relations: the Republic of South Africa has not forgotten the Soviet Union’s assistance in its struggle for freedom.
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Thabo Mbeki attended the singing of a number of intergovernmental agreements aimed at developing business contacts – on cooperation in the exploration and use of space for peaceful purposes; on cooperation in healthcare and medical research; on mutual protection of intellectual property rights, used and obtained in the course of bilateral cooperation in the defense industry.