South Africa and T\u00fcrkiye remain committed to strengthen bilateral relations, says International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Minister held Bilateral Political Consultations with Foreign Affairs Minister, Mevl\u00fct \u00c7avusoglu of the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cCo-chair, it is an honour to preside jointly with you over these Consultations today. Such engagements are indicative of our respective countries\u2019 joint commitment to strengthen bilateral relations through dialogue and through the exchange of knowledge in different areas of expertise,\u201d she said at the session held in Pretoria.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
She welcomed her counterpart to South Africa where they would discuss matters of mutual concern, bilaterally and multilaterally \u201cduring these very challenging times we find ourselves in\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
South Africa and T\u00fcrkiye maintain strategic bilateral political, economic and cultural relations that were established in 1991.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Pandor expressed South Africa\u2019s condolences to the Government and people of the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye on the tragic loss of life as a result of the explosion which occurred in Istanbul on 13 November 2022.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth Africa remains steadfast in condemning all forms of violence and wishes to extend our sympathy to those directly affected by this tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It was reported at the time that at least six people were killed in the blast with several others sustaining injuries during the incident.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I also use this opportunity, on behalf of His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, the government and people of the Republic of South Africa to convey our sincerest congratulations and best wishes to His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people of the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye on celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye this year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Bilateral trade between the two countries has seen a gradual growth over recent years. During the period April to November 2022, South African exports to T\u00fcrkiye increased by approximately 18%.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrkiye remains a key investment partner for South Africa and has already invested in several projects with direct capital investment estimated at about R156.80 million over the past decade.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we have the opportunity to discuss and exchange views on how best we can work together to strengthen the good relations that our two countries enjoy,\u201d said Pandor.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Minister Pandor was also encouraged by our mutual recognition of the importance of the values of peace and stability, democracy, the rule of law and the centrality of multilateralism in sustainable development.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Tuesday\u2019s meeting follows the visit by Deputy Minister Alvin Botes to T\u00fcrkiye in October 2022 where he had successful discussions with his T\u00fcrkiysh counterpart Deputy Minister, Sedat \u00d6nal.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to a fruitful engagement on how we can activate cooperation in other equally important areas such as the arts, culture and sport, and science and technology, respectively. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Our countries are active in regional and multilateral issues, and I look forward to exchanging notes on relevant matters in this regard that are important for both our countries,\u201d she said in her opening remarks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Source: South African Government News Agency<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
South Africa and T\u00fcrkiye remain committed to strengthen bilateral relations, says International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor.The Minister held Bilateral Political Consultations with Foreign Affairs Minister, Mevl\u00fct \u00c7avusoglu of …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n