Pretoria - South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday identified several sectors as key areas of cooperation for South Africa to the world.
He said this during the 7th BRICS Summit Outreach Session held at Ufa, in Russia.
The sectors, which he said are hardly exhaustive, comprise food production, power generation, the petro-chemical industry, mining, tourism, renewable and nuclear energy, trade, transportation, communications and training.
“The time has never been more appropriate to advance our engagement to a next level, considering the major milestone anniversaries on the global agenda.
“Earlier this year, we celebrated the 16th anniversary of the Bandung Asia-Africa Conference and we will celebrate the 17th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the creation of the United Nations, as well as adopt the post 2015 Development Agenda at the UN General Assembly session later this year,” he said.
He called for the bonds of friendship, solidarity and cooperation to be extended with the African continent as citizens seek to grow together in peace, development and prosperity.
“As member states of the BRICS formation, we share the sentiments as contained in our session's theme that our Chairperson proposed, namely ‘Ways to increase the well-being of the peoples of our countries’.
“We find convergence in our respective priority areas for cooperation, including sustainable socio-economic development, boosting trade, economic and investment activities,” said the President.
He said the economies of BRICS member states are also involved in developing cooperation in high-technology sectors of the economy, modernising various branches of industry, implementing projects aimed to develop transport logistics, information communications and infrastructure, raising the economic competitiveness and improving the living standards of citizens.
“This in fact was the rationale that informed our first dialogue with African Leaders in 2013, as well as South American Leaders in 2014.
“I am delighted to now also interact with this important region, so strategically endowed with natural and human resources,” said President Zuma. - SAnews.gov.za
