DIRCO Annual Report

SUB-PROGRAMME 3.4: NORTH-SOUTH COOPERATION

Engagements with the European Union (EU) (South Africa-EU Dialogue) The 14th South Africa-EU Ministerial Political Dialogue (MPD) was held virtually on 14 July 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. The MPD was co-chaired by the European Commission’s High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission (HR/VP), Josep Borrell, and the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor. HR/VP Borrell was supported by the European Commissioner for Trade, Phil Hogan, and the European Commissioner for International Partnership, Jutta Urpilainen. Minister Pandor was supported by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, and the Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni.

The 14th MPD discussed a range of issues relating to further enhancing the South Africa EU Strategic Partnership within the challenging context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its political and socio-economic impact on South Africa and the EU. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to evolve the Strategic Partnership and to outline measures to improve performance and the implementation of the programmes underpinning the strategic relations. Both parties highlighted the need for enhancing two-way trade and boosting investment cooperation under existing bilateral and multilateral frameworks, as well as to develop resilient and sustainable regional and bilateral value chains in sectors with growth potential. The importance to harness continued support for South Africa on development cooperation, aligned to thYe National Development Plan (NDP) with the focus on addressing the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality, was raised, as well as the importance for a just transition within the South African economy. Both parties reaffirmed the mutual goal of strengthening the rules-based international order, human rights, universal values and multilateralism. The Ninth South Africa-EU Political and Security Dialogue Forum (PSDF) was held virtually, hosted by DIRCO on 11 December 2020, and co-chaired by the Deputy Director-General: Americas and Europe, Ambassador Maud Dlomo, and the EU’s Chair of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Sofie From Emmesberger. The meeting provided a substantive platform for discussing issues of global, continental, and regional peace and security. The virtual exchange of views provided beneficial in engagements with the EU in these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Department of International Relations and Cooperation

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