“Round table” dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the leaders of the ANC and the Republic of South Africa N. Mandela and A. Sisulu

On December 11, a “round table” meeting was held at the Institute for African Studies of RAS dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of two major leaders of the ANC and leaders of a democratic South African Republic: Nelson Mandela and “Mother” Albertina Sisulu. The “round table” was jointly organized by the South African Embassy in the Russian Federation and the Institute for African Studies of RAS. In Presidium - Chairman of the National provincial council of South Africa (upper house of parliament), Thandi Modise, Director of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation A.V. Kemarsky, Director of the Institute for African Studies of RAS, Corresponding Member of RAS, Professor I.O. Abramova, Honorary President of the Institute for African Studies of RAS, Academician A.M. Vasiliev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.D. Davidson.

A.A. Tokarev, the head of the Center for Southern African Studies, opened and chaired the meeting. Addressing the audience, Professor I.O. Abramova briefly recalled the bright pages of the biography of the two leaders and their struggle against apartheid. She also noted that in 2011, following a survey of 50 thousand people in 25 countries of the world, N. Mandela topped the list of world leaders with an impeccable reputation. Both leaders, N. Mandela and A. Sisulu, made an enormous contribution to the liberation of their homeland from apartheid, and at the same time remained extremely modest people to the end of their lives. Guests were welcomed by the Honorary President of the Institute for African Studies of RAS, Academician A.M. Vasiliev. He drew attention to the prominent role of women in South African society. As an example, he recalled that about half of the seats in the parliament in South Africa are occupied by women: a good example for the Russian parliament.

Director of the African Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation A.V. Kemarsky stressed that Russia and South Africa have strategic partnership relations.