Lesotho–Russia relations (russian: Российско-лесотские отношения) are the bilateral

relations Relation or relations may refer to: General uses *International relations, the study of interconnection of politics, economics, and law on a global level *Interpersonal relationship, association or acquaintance between two or more people *Public ...

between Russia and

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

Background

Soviet-era relations

The Soviet Union and the

Kingdom of Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a populatio ...

established diplomatic relations on 1 February 1980. The Soviet ambassador to Mozambique was initially concurrently accredited to represent the Soviet Union's interests in Lesotho. Yuri Sepelev was appointed as the first Soviet ambassador to Lesotho, in concurrence with his posting to Maputo, on 24 April 1983, and presented his letter of credence to Basotho King Moshoeshoe II on 9 June 1983. After a South African raid on Maseru on 9 December 1982, Lesotho began to build its relationships with the

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

nations. After trips to the People's Republic of China and the

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

in May 1983, Basotho Prime Minister Leabua Jonathan announced that China and the Soviet Union would be establishing embassies in the kingdom. The South African government responded angrily to the announcement, and reminded Jonathan of a promise he made in 1965 not to allow an embassy of any communist country in Lesotho so long as he was Prime Minister. Vincent Makhele, the Basotho Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Moscow in September 1984 for discussions with officials in the Soviet government. In a sign of increased KGB presence in Lesotho, staffing levels in the embassy in Maseru were increased, and in May 1985 the Soviets appointed their first resident ambassador to Lesotho. In December 1985, Makhele returned to Moscow, and signed a cultural and scientific co-operation agreement, and a technical and economic agreement, with the Soviets. Soviet inroads in Lesotho suffered a setback when Jonathan was overthrown in January 1986 in a military coup which was led by

Justin Lekhanya General Justin Metsing Lekhanya (7 April 1938 – 20 January 2021) was the Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Military Council of Lesotho from 24 January 1986 to 2 May 1991. Background Born in Thaba-Tseka in 1938, Lekhanya completed his pri ...

Russian Federation relations

Diplomatic ties

On 24 January 1992, Lesotho recognised the Russian Federation as the successor state to the Soviet Union, after the latter's dissolution. The

Russian embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of Russia. These missions are subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Russian Federation has one of the largest networks of embassies and consulates of any country. Russia has significant ...

in Maseru was closed in August 1992, and thereafter the Russian Ambassador to South Africa has been concurrently accredited to Lesotho. Anatoly Makarov, the current Russian ambassador, presented his letters of credence to King

Letsie III Letsie III (born Seeiso Bereng; 17 July 1963) is King of Lesotho. He succeeded his father, Moshoeshoe II, who was forced into exile in 1990. His father was briefly restored in 1995 but died in a car crash in early 1996, and Letsie became king ag ...

on 13 April 2007. Makase Nyaphisi, until 2012 the Basotho Ambassador to Russia and succeeded by Matlotliso Lineo Lydia Khechane-Ntoane, presented his credentials to Russian President

Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf; born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician who has been serving as the dep ...

on 5 February 2010.

Cultural ties

Since the beginning of the bilateral relationship with Lesotho, some 50 Basotho nationals have been educated in Soviet and Russian universities. Some of these graduates are employed in senior positions in the

government of Lesotho Politics of Lesotho takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Lesotho is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the ...

, the most prominent of whom is Monyane Moleleki, the Basotho foreign minister, who graduated from Moscow State University. Since 1996, the Russian government provides to Lesotho, scholarships for three Basotho citizens to obtain basic higher education, and one scholarship for a Basotho citizen to study in graduate school.

References

External links

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Embassy of Russia in South Africa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesotho-Russia relations Africa–Russia relations Russia Bilateral relations of Russia