Pretoria - South Africa and Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the defence and defence production sectors.
Known as the Defence and Defence Industrial Cooperation, the MoU will see the establishment of a Joint Defence Committee, South Africa’s Defence Ministry spokesperson Joy Peter said on Monday.
“This will pave the way for strengthening and diversifying through formal structures, collaborative programmes, exchange of information and training of the armed forces officers and soldiers,” said Peter.
It will also help with the facilitation of acquisition of defence equipment, as well as cooperation in research and development, transfer of technology, co-production/joint ventures in the public and private sectors.
The MoU was signed on Monday by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and her Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif following their meeting in Pakistan.
Being the first ever visit of a Defence Minister from South Africa to Pakistan, the two sides discussed matters of bilateral interest and cooperation.
Minister Mapisa-Nqakula has expressed hope that the MoU will yield the expected results.
Due to sanctions and embargoes imposed against South Africa, the two countries did not officially initiate bilateral relations only until the end of apartheid in 1994.
However, since then, the Pakistan-SA relationship has been gaining momentum. - SAnews.gov.za
