Deputy Minister Fransman to host Spain Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Juan Antonio Yáñez-Barnuevo

Pretoria-Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Marius Fransman is to host his Spanish counterpart, Mr Juan Antonio Yáñez-Barnuevo for the 7th Annual Bilateral Consultations between Spain and South Africa scheduled to take place from 1-2 February 2011.

Deputy Minister Fransman will host his counterpart within the context of strengthening bilateral relations with Spain in support of South Africa’s national priorities and foreign policy objectives by inter alia promoting high level consultations to discuss bilateral, regional, multilateral and other international issues of mutual concern.

South Africa-Spain Annual Consultations serve as the main forum for coordinating bilateral relations between South Africa and Spain.  It was established in terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2000 and provides the legal framework for bilateral consultations and cooperation.

South Africa and Spain enjoy cordial relations with regular political interaction at all levels of government and, promising trade and investments relations. The two countries are deeply committed to multilateralism with Spain having supported South Africa’s bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2011-2012. Furthermore the two countries also share a common belief that UN governance should be restructured particularly the Security Council and global financial architecture.

Although bilateral economic relations between the two countries were affected by the global financial and economic crisis and mirrored the trend in trade relations with the majority of South Africa’s main trading partners in Europe, potential demand exists for South African goods across a wide range of sectors and over the medium to long term the Spanish market will remain one of the most promising and rapidly developing markets of the EU, and of major interest for South Africa.

The Annual Consultations between the two countries provides opportunity for South Africa and Spain to explore the deepening of relations across the spectrum of South Africa’s national priorities as four working groups will meet to discuss inter alia political cooperation, the strengthening of trade and investment, development cooperation and crime prevention..

For further information please contact Mr. Clayson Monyela spokesperson for DIRCO on 082 884 5974

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Pretoria

30 January 2011