Visit of the delegation of the North West Provincial Legislature of the Republic of South Africa to Moscow

On 7−8 July 2025, working meetings were held in Moscow with the delegation of the North West Provincial Legislature of the Republic of South Africa. The visit was organised by the IMBRICS Forum 2025 Directorate and included discussions on legislative cooperation, exchange of experience, and the development of interparliamentary relations.

On 7 July, the South African delegation, headed by Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Legislature of South Africa, Mokone Collen Maine, visited the Moscow City Duma. The event was attended by deputies of the Moscow City Duma, representatives of relevant commissions, and the Department for External Economic and International Relations of the City of Moscow.

The South African side expressed interest in studying the legislative system of the Russian Federation, including mechanisms for taking citizens' opinions into account during the lawmaking process. The delegates were particularly interested in issues related to improving the efficiency of local governance and practices of engagement with the capital’s residents.

The Russian side shared innovative approaches to urban infrastructure development, including electric buses, driverless trams, and electric riverboats with no global analogues. The participants were also informed about Moscow’s cultural and social programmes, the healthcare system, the digital platform "Mos.ru", and the mechanisms for feedback from residents, which sparked particular interest among the South African delegation.

At the end of the meeting, both sides exchanged commemorative gifts and expressed their willingness to continue the dialogue within the framework of the IMBRICS Forum 2025.

On 8 July, the delegation of the North West Provincial Legislature of South Africa visited the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The meeting was chaired by Alexander Varfolomeev, First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy and Coordinator of the Chamber of Young Legislators under the Federation Council.

The meeting was also attended by Lev Zakirov, Chair of the Chamber of Young Legislators under the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. He presented the activities, structure, and key areas of work of the Chamber, as well as a video presentation dedicated to the activities and goals of the youth parliamentary institute, the procedures for participant selection, and current projects.

In addition, representatives of the autonomous non-profit organisation "Directorate of the World Youth Festival" also took part in the event. The parties exchanged experience in the fields of youth and social policy, healthcare, environmental protection, education, and parliamentary activities.

Alexander Varfolomeev invited the South African delegates to visit Lake Baikal as a symbol of Russia’s cultural and natural heritage.

As a result of the meeting, the parties expressed their intention to sign a cooperation agreement between the Chamber of Young Legislators under the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the North West Provincial Legislature of the Republic of South Africa. Both sides confirmed their interest in further developing their partnership and continuing meaningful dialogue.