Pretoria - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will tomorrow roll out the red carpet for her Belgian counterpart.
Nkoana-Mashabane will hold talks with Didier Reynders aimed at further deepening the existing bilateral political and economic relations between the two countries, her office said on Tuesday.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), they will also look at how Belgium can help support South Africa's national priorities and infrastructure development as well as reflect on issues of mutual concern and discuss the modalities for trilateral cooperation on the continent in order to enhance the African Agenda.
"Bilateral relations between South Africa and Belgium are strong and continue to strengthen despite the current economic challenges facing Europe. Belgium is a reliable supporter of South Africa's reconstruction and development efforts," said the ministry in a statement.
In recent years, Belgium allocated an amount of ?25 million as Official Development Assistance (ODA) to South Africa covering, among others, health, education and capacity building in the public sector.
The two countries also share tight economic relations. Belgium is South Africa's 13th global trading partner, with total exports from South Africa to Belgium in 2011 amounting to R14.6 billion and total imports in the same period of R9.1 billion, giving South Africa a positive trade balance.
Belgium ranks sixth in terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in South Africa, focusing on the mining, green energy, ports, logistics and agriculture sectors.
There is also extensive cooperation between the ports of Durban and Antwerp, as Belgium is a leading country in ports management, transport and logistics, which are especially important to South Africa in the context of the Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPS) as announced by President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation Address.
Given Belgium's historic relations with and continued involvement in the Great Lakes Region, the two ministers will exchange views on developments in the DRC and Burundi, in particular, as well as discuss trilateral cooperation on the continent.
During his two-day stay, Reynders will also meet with Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies and Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu before travelling to KwaZulu-Natal for a meeting with Premier Zweli Mkhize.
It is expected that the discussions with the respective ministers and Mkhize will focus on the further deepening of trade and economic relations between South Africa and Belgium, said Dirco.
