Joint Statement
SA –Brazil Bilateral meeting
On 15 May 2017 the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, hosted the BrazilianMinister of External Relations, Mr Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, on a Working Visit to Pretoria.
Minister Nkoana-Mashabane congratulated Minister Nunes on his appointment as foreign minister on 7 March 2017.
The Ministers welcomed the opportunity to meet as part of a commitment to hold regular bilateral political and diplomatic consultations.
The Ministers reaffirmed the strategic partnership between South Africa and Brazil, which spans country-to-country cooperation, cooperation through inter-regional mechanisms and at the global level.
In this regard the Ministers welcomed the entry into force of the Preferential Trade Agreement between SACU (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa) and MERCOSUL/R (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) and expressed their willingness to work together for the strengthening of beneficial bilateral and regional trading relations. The Ministers also manifested their expectation that the First Meeting of the Administrative Committee of the Preferential Trade Agreement between SACU and MERCOSUR to be held in Johannesburg, on 25 and 26 May, will push forward the coordination among the countries of the two regions.
The Ministers acknowledged the Brazil – South Africa Business Seminar with the attendance of the delegation of Brazil business people accompanying the Brazilian Minister, government agencies as well as South African entrepreneurs. The seminar, closed by Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira and Minister of Small Business Development, Minister Lindiwe Zulu, discussed opportunities in areas such as energy and food production, as well as ways to enhance business relations between both countries.
The two ministers reviewed bilateral relations between their countries and agreed on finalizing outstanding mutual agreements in areas such as:
- Peaceful uses of nuclear energy
- Infant and mother health
- Arts and culture
- Extradition and mutual legal assistance
- Investment Cooperation
- Protocol, among others.
The Ministers confirmed their commitment to the IBSA Strategic Dialogue and also confirmed their commitment to the BRICS Partnership as the two countries prepared for the next Summit that would be taking place in China in September 2017. In this regard Minister Nunes welcomed South Africa’s chairing of the BRICS Partnership in 2018.
In closing the Ministers reaffirmed the warm relations between their countries and their desire to collaborate on matters of mutual interest.
Issued in Pretoria
15 May 2017
|
