RSA/Chile Joint Communique

South Africa-Chile Joint Consultative Mechanism Meeting

PRETORIA – 06 July 2012

The 4th Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM) meeting at Deputy Ministerial level took place in Pretoria on 06 July 2012.

The meeting was co-chaired by South African Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ebrahim Ebrahim, and his Chilean counterpart, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fernando Schmidt.

Topics addressed during the meeting included global issues such as multilateral cooperation and regional developments in general South Africa, as a major foreign investor in Chile, also used the opportunity to address bilateral issues such as cooperation in trade and investment and the avoidance of double taxation.

South Africa and Chile have agreed and finalised two instruments, namely the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the MOU on the establishment of a Joint Trade and Investment Commission.

A number of other areas of possible collaboration were also discussed including the possibility of a dialogue regarding a preferential trade agreement subject to concurrence with the Southern African Customs Union, science and technology and academic exchanges in the tertiary education sector.

DIRCO in collaboration with IGD/UNISA arranged for Ambassador Schmidt to give a lecture on     

Opportunities for Africa’s engagement with Chile and the Pacific Rim titled:

Chile and the Pacific: Opportunities for Africa, on Thursday 05 July 2012.

During the lecture a wide range of topics was covered regarding Chile and the Pacific Rim’s relationship with Africa in general and South Africa in particular, with a lively participation from a number of Heads of Mission of Latin America resident in South Africa.
It was also decided to explore possibilities of further academic collaboration between Chile and South Africa in general and UNISA in particular.

BILATERAL RELATIONS AT A GLANCE

Political relations between South Africa and Chile remain sound. Relations have been at ambassadorial level since 1998.

South Africa and Chile signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Consultations on Issues of Common Interest in November 1998 at the level of Deputy Minister.
The previous JCM meeting between Chile and South Africa took place in Chile on 31 July 2008. 

The JCM continues to serve a constructive purpose in the ongoing political dialogue between the two countries at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. 

Trade figures:

Exports to Chile

2008:  R 546 314 661         
2009: R 446 718 467
2010:   R 450 454 011
2011: R 604 083 784

(Minerals, chemical fertilisers, sulphate, iron, flat-rolled products of steel, insecticides, fruits, nuts, and other edible part of plants, acrylic, alcohol. Steel amount to 61, 6% of total exports.

Imports from Chile

2008:  R1 234 161 897
2009: R   861 737 835
2010:  R   579 329 403
2011:   R  834 622 926

(Primary and semi–processed metal, chemical and agricultural (herbicide/insecticide) sectors).

Source: SARS

In the aftermath of the devastating February 2010 earthquake in Chile, DIRCO successfully facilitated a humanitarian donation of R500 000 from the South African Government which was routed through the Chilean Red Cross. 

Issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria