JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Russia and China will conduct naval drills in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa next month, in another indication of their strengthening relationships with Africa’s most developed country amid the war in Ukraine and global financial uncertainty.
The South African armed forces said Thursday that they and the Russian and Chinese navies will engage in “a multinational maritime exercise” from Feb. 17-27 off South Africa’s east coast near the cities of Durban and Richards Bay.
The announcement comes days before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to visit South Africa and hold talks with South African counterpart Naledi Pandor.
The South African government said it has a neutral stance over Ukraine and has called for dialogue and diplomacy, but the upcoming naval drills have led the country’s main opposition party to accuse the government of effectively siding with Russia.
But the South African National Defense Force, which incorporates all of its armed forces, said next month’s naval exercise would “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.” The aim of the drills was “sharing operational skills and knowledge,” the SANDF said.
The three countries also conducted a similar naval exercise in 2019 in Cape Town, while Russia and China held joint naval drills in the East China Sea last month.