SA, Senegal pleased with bilateral relations

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Senegal President Macky Sall on Tuesday said he was happy with the bilateral relationship that exists between South Africa and his country.

“We are generally happy with the state of our bilateral relations,” he said.

South Africa and Senegal enjoy cordial bilateral political, economic and social relations underpinned by strong historical ties dating back to the years of the liberation struggle. 

President Sall, who is in South Africa on a state visit, met President Jacob Zuma in Cape Town.

Speaking after a meeting with President Zuma in Cape Town, President Sall said the main objective of the state visit was to review the bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, reflect on the progress made and discuss new areas of cooperation.

“During our discussions we focused on a wide range of bilateral, continental and global issues of common interest. We have noted the dynamism that characterises our relations as evidenced by our regular consultations on issues of mutual interest, particularly issues affecting the wellbeing of the beloved Continent.

“The dynamism we are talking about relates, but is not limited to the progress made in strengthening the relations between our two countries, especially in the field of Arts and Culture,” President Sall said.

President Sall said considering the strong historical bonds between the two countries and the collective desire to forge closer cooperation and partnership, they have decided to elevate their Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation to the level of ministers.

“We believe that this will give the required push to enhancing our cooperation,” he said.

President Sall said they are also committed to ensuring that all the signed 14 sectoral agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) are fully implemented.

“We have just witnessed yet another signing of a legal instrument, in this case the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Tourism. We welcome this MoU, which will foster cooperation and the sharing of expertise in exchange of tourism information, tourism promotion and partnership investments in the sector.

“We believe that both countries stand to benefit a lot from the agreement and hope that not only will it be beneficial to the people working in the tourism sector, but also for the average citizen wishing to explore each other’s beautiful countries,” he said.

The visit of President Macky Sall takes place after the successful commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Dakar Talks in June 2017 which were held in Senegal.

The Dakar Talks are widely considered to have paved the way towards a negotiated settlement between the African National Congress (ANC) and the then Government in South Africa.

Trade relations

Trade between South Africa and Senegal has been steadily increasing since 2010. In 2016, South African exported goods were to the value of R 1.7 billion while Senegal exported goods to the value of R29 million.

South African exports consist of amongst others fresh produce, manufacturing equipment and household appliances. South African imports from Senegal are mainly household furniture and effects, textile materials and original sculptures.

South African companies and entities operating in Senegal include DSTV, South African Airways, and Transnet. – SAnews.gov.za