South African army chief visits Moscow, agrees to strengthen military ties

MOSCOW, July 28 - Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, the chief of the South African Army, held talks with Russian counterparts on Tuesday during a visit to Moscow which his hosts said resulted in an agreement to beef up ties between the two nations' land forces.

Mbatha, on his second official visit to Russia, was part of a military delegation which Russia's Defence Ministry said would visit military academies and defence companies after holding talks in the capital.

"The two sides discussed joint projects at the (Russian army's) General Headquarters aimed at enhancing the combat readiness of both countries’ armies," the Russian ministry said in a statement.

"Agreements were reached on further strengthening cooperation between the land forces in various areas."

South Africa has sought to maintain a non-aligned stance on the conflict in Ukraine, while preserving strong ties with Moscow as a fellow member of the BRICS group of emerging economies.

Mbatha was shown paying his respects at Moscow's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before holding talks with Russian Colonel General Alexander Matovnikov, deputy commander-in-chief of Russia's land forces, who thanked South Africa's political and military leadership for what he called its "firm position" on Russia and shared vision of a multipolar world. REUTERS