Media Statement
28 October 2019
South Africa-Denmark Senior Officials Consultations to take place in Pretoria
The Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Mr Kgabo Mahoai, will today, 28 October 2019, co-chair the South Africa-Denmark Senior Officials Consultations with his Danish counterpart, Ambassador Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen.
The purpose of the consultations is to enhance and strengthen bilateral co-operation between South Africa and Denmark, to encourage further trade and investment and to exchange views on regional, multilateral and global issues of mutual concern.
The two countries cooperate in a number of sectors, including energy, water, agriculture, and science and technology. Potential has been identified in the areas of environment and climate change, digitalization and the 4th industrial revolution. The growth in bilateral co-operation was reflected upon during the previous consultations, resulting in an agreement between the parties to create a mechanism that reflects the maturing relations.
Relations between South Africa and Denmark are good and are based on mutual values of democracy, respect for human rights and social justice. Denmark was a strong supporter of the struggle for democracy and freedom in South Africa. Denmark was the first Western country to impose unilateral trade sanctions on the apartheid regime. The focus of the relationship is now based on political dialogue, trade and economic co-operation and closer co-ordination and mutual support on multilateral issues.
Economic relations between South Africa and Denmark are managed under the auspices of the SA-EU Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) which was institutionalized in 1999 and came into effect in 2000. The TDCA is a free trade agreement that allows over 90% of goods to enter each market duty free. In addition to the TDCA, South Africa and Denmark are both signatories of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the European Union (EU), signed in June 2016 and entered into force in November 2016.
Denmark is South Africa’s 3rd largest trading partner in the Nordic countries after Sweden and Norway. Meanwhile, South Africa is Denmark’s largest trading partner, for both imports and exports, on the African continent, followed by Egypt, Nigeria and Angola.
Enquiries: Mr Clayson Monyela, Spokesperson for DIRCO, 082 884 5974
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084
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