Media Statement
22 January 2015
President Zuma meets Prime Minister Key
President Jacob Zuma has today, 22 January 2015, held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr John Key, at the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The two leaders discussed a range of issues of common interest between South Africa including the need to strengthen economic relations and trade.
President Zuma congratulated the Prime Minister on New Zealand's election to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and said they looked forward to working with New Zealand on peace and security as well as other issues.
The two leaders also reflected on the upcoming international sporting events such as the HSBC Sevens World Rugby Series in Wellington and the next 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup that will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 14 February to 29 March 2015.
President Zuma and Prime Minister Key remarked on the great sporting rivalry that exists between the two nations and undertook to outdo each other on both cricket and rugby fields.
They expressed great pride with regards to the fact that any sporting encounter between the two nations was "never boring".
The Prime Minister indicated how worried he was about the strength of the South African sides in both rugby and cricket and said he was especially mindful of Handré Pollard, the South African rugby fly-half, whom he described as "too tall and fast" saying his All Blacks team would keep a close watch on him. He said the All Blacks had been given strict instructions to give South Africa a hard time, to which President Zuma said that South Africa would be a “serious headache” on the pitch for New Zealand.
President Zuma is on a working visit to Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
Enquiries: Mac Maharaj on 079 879 3203 or macmaharaj@icloud.com
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria
www.operationphakisa.gov.za
www.thepresidency.gov.za
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