Pretoria – South Africa and Germany have committed to redouble their economic and political cooperation following a meeting in Pretoria on Monday.
“This morning we had extensive discussions on both bilateral and multilateral issues… We have reaffirmed our strategic partnership. Our cooperation is deep and covers many areas,” International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She met with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who is on an official visit to South Africa.
“Germany is one of the leading trading and investment partners for South Africa. It is our third largest trading partner…” Nkoana-Mashabane said, adding that Germany supported South Africa’s national development priorities.
In the past, the German government allocated more than R3 million to South Africa for what it described as technical cooperation.
Last year, the South Africa-German Year of Science partnership was launched in South Africa. Through the initiative, more than 40 joint research projects were undertaken by scientists from both countries, focusing on renewable energy, health, pharmaceuticals and Information Communication Technology.
Westerwelle committed Germany to further strengthening economic relations, saying SA remained an important partner economically.
“South Africa also remains an important partner politically… We followed the recent BRICS summit you [hosted] and we welcome your commitment to African and regional integration. We highly value your commitment to peace and security in the continent and we value your commitment to peace keeping missions in Africa.”
He described the meeting with Nkoana-Mashabane as an excellent opportunity to deepen relations between Germany and SA.
Westerwelle's visit to Pretoria is part of his African tour, which included Ghana and Mozambique.
“It is in our mutual interest to establish partnerships with African nations. We are not limited in our thoughts. Africa is a continent full of opportunities,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
