Media Statement
04 December 2014
Deputy Minister Mfeketo concludes Official Visit to Singapore and Indonesia
International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Nomaindiya Mfeketo recently paid an official visit to Singapore and Indonesia.
In Singapore, Deputy Minister Mfeketo met with her Singaporean counterpart, Deputy Minister Zukifli Bin Masagos, where South Africa and Singapore bilateral relations were discussed. Issues discussed during the meeting, were the upcoming Foreign Office Consultations, scheduled for January 2015, engaging and involving other government departments e.g. DTI, Education, etc.
Collaboration on tourism was identified as area of closer cooperation and Singapore expressed a keen interest in signing the Bilateral Air Services Agreement with South Africa. Singapore also indicated an interest in importing meat and vegetables from South Africa. The two leaders also discussed the impact of the Ebola virus on trade and tourism with African countries. They recognised the need for the two countries to exchange visits of political principals and trade delegations. Collaboration with the Singapore Civil Service College was acknowledged. Deputy Minister Masagos also underscored the importance of BRICS to Singapore as there are areas that the two countries can collaborate on within the context of BRICS.
The Deputy Minister concluded her visit with a luncheon with the Singapore Business Federation.
In Indonesia, Deputy Minister Mfeketo delivered the inaugural Sheik Yusuf Memorial Lecture at the Sultan Hasanuddin University in Makassar. The aim of the lecture was to celebrate 20 years of freedom in South Africa and the relevance of Sheikh Yusuf to the bilateral relations between South Africa and Indonesia. It is hoped that the lecture will become a key annual event during which South Africa and Indonesia can demonstrate a shared commitment to strengthen and sustain the enduring historical relations that exist between the two countries.
Whilst in Indonesia, the Deputy Minister also held a meeting with the Deputy Governor of South Sulawesi, Mr Arisin Numang. During the meeting, the province of South Sulawesi was congratulated on the re-election of Mr Yusuf Kalla as Vice-President of Indonesia, who is from Makassar. The Deputy Minister used the opportunity to encourage members of the Indonesian private sector to consider South Africa as a destination of choice for investment, trade and tourism.
Deputy Minister Mfeketo also met with the Mayor of Makassar, Mr Ramdhn Pomanto, and the Rector of Sultan Hasanuddin University. Discussions at these meetings touched on trade and investment, tourism and the proposal for a Twinning Agreement between the Western Cape and South Sulawesi Provinces. The Deputy Minister was also updated on the construction of the Nelson Mandela and Sheik Yusuf statues in both Makassars, to honour the legacies of these two icons. During the meeting with the Rector of Sultan Hasanuddin University, Prof Dr Dwia Ariestina Palubulu MA, Deputy Minister called for the strengthening of ties between South African institutions of Higher Learning and their counterparts in Indonesia.
Clayson Monyela spokesperson for DIRCO on 082 884 5974
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
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