Nkoana-Mashabane to host US counterpart

Sunday, July 29, 2012

It is expected that the meeting will discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

"Bilateral relations between South Africa and the United States are strong. The current US administration has expressed an interest in partnering with SA both domestically and regionally," the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.

High-level visits and interactions, such as visits by Vice President Joe Biden to South Africa in 2010 and the reciprocal visit by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe in 2011 to the USA, highlight the close relations between the two countries.

The department said the US continues to support SA's domestic priorities and has sought to align its assistance programmes and projects with South Africa's national priorities.

The US is currently the third largest trading partner for SA, as well as a significant investor. The African Growth and Opportunity Act due, for renewal in 2015, provides many South African exports with duty-free access to the USA and has favourably contributed to a trade surplus with the USA.