South Africa and Singapore have concluded “very productive” deliberations aimed at strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two countries and exploring new areas of bilateral economic cooperation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted his Singaporean counterpart, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on an Official Visit at Tuynhuys, Cape Town on Tuesday.
President Ramaphosa said that it was a pleasure to discuss areas of mutual interest and explore ways to strengthen bilateral relations, cooperation and partnership.
“Prime Minister Lee and I have just concluded productive discussions during his first Official Visit to South Africa … I would like to thank Prime Minister Lee for very productive deliberations and for his commitment to building stronger ties between our countries,” he said.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Africa and the Republic of Singapore as partners who work together closely in multinational fora.
South Africa's economic relations with Singapore are focused on trade, investment, tourism promotion, and skills transfer.
The President said he believed there is significant potential to further develop the two countries economic partnership.
“This is evident in the business delegation that accompanied Prime Minister Lee, comprising representatives of a number of sectors, including ports, logistics, healthcare and biomedical, food manufacturing and engineering.
“Our two countries share a common interest in promoting economic growth, social development and prosperity for our citizens. It is in this spirit that we have worked together to strengthen our ties,” he said.
During the official talks, President Ramaphosa and his counterpart agreed to deepen the two countries' cooperation on science and innovation.
He said the visit provided South Africa and Singapore an opportunity to discuss areas of cooperation that are firmly focused on the future.
This includes cooperation in the fields of digitalisation, communications and technology, water and sanitation, and skills development, among others.
The President said the visit was also an opportunity to express appreciation to the Government of Singapore for their support over the years in training South African civil servants.
Among other issues, the two Heads of State discussed South Africa’s application to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
“The global role of the ASEAN region has been growing over the last five decades creating the sixth largest market in the world.
“Further deepening the cooperation between South Africa and ASEAN would open up opportunities in various fields, such trade, infrastructure development, technology transfer, education, science, innovation and tourism,” the President said.
The President added that the visit further provided an opportunity to discuss regional and international issues of common interest and concern.
These include developments on the African continent, in particular the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the potential it offers for both domestic and international investors.
“We discussed the current instability in international relations and the global economy. We agreed on the need for all countries to work together to develop inclusive, just and sustainable solutions to conflict, climate change, pandemics and other challenges,” he said.
President Ramaphosa shared that he had an opportunity to brief Prime Minister Lee on South Africa’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He said over the weekend he presented an African leaders peace mission to President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during separate telephone calls.
“Principal to our discussions are efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in the Ukraine, its cost in human lives and impact on the African continent.
“In this regard, I presented the initiative on behalf of African Heads of State, from Zambia, Senegal, Congo, Uganda, Egypt and South Africa,” he said.
He said that the two leaders agreed to receive the mission and the African Heads of State, in both Moscow and Kyiv.
“I agreed with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy to commence with preparations for engagements with the African Heads of State. The Secretary General of the United Nations was briefed and welcomed the initiative,” he said.
President Ramaphosa said he was grateful that the two Heads of State had an opportunity to discuss these and other issues of importance to their countries and to the broader global community. – SAnews.gov.za
