Bilateral Talks in Pretoria: Foreign Ministers focus on Trade
South Africa’s Foreign Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, held talks with her Icelandic counterpart, Valgerdur Sverrisdóttir, on 27 February in Pretoria. At the meeting they discussed bilateral relations in general, but with a strong focus on trade.
There was strong support for an early start to negotiations between the two countries which would lead to agreements on aviation services, double taxation and investment. In this connection the Icelandic minister stressed the opportunities afforded by last year’s Free Trade Agreement between EFTA members and the Southern African Customs Union and the need for early ratification of that treaty.
While discussing civil strife in Africa, Minister Sverrisdóttir informed Dr Dlamini Zuma of her trip to Uganda and visits to refugee camps in the conflict zone in the north of the country.
Valgerdur Sverrisdóttir also described Iceland’s efforts in the field of development assitance and direct aid. She gave details on the school meal support project in Malawi recently initiated by Iceland in cooperation with the World Food Programme. This project, the Minister said, was especially important to encourage school attendance by girls: the education of women is the basis of economic and social development in Africa.
The Icelandic Minister also thanked her South African colleague for South Africa’s support to Iceland as a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2009-2010. Dr Dlamini Zuma said that Iceland was a credible candidate as it had no special interests to protect in the wider world. Minister Sverrisdóttir’s visit to Africa was of great importance given the fact that the continent was often on the Council’s agenda.
