Azerbaijan, South Africa agree to boost relations

Prospects for developing bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Republic of South Africa were mulled in Baku, as Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, South African minister of international relations and cooperation visited the country.

The South African delegation led by the minister was first received by President Ilham Aliyev, who voiced Azerbaijan’s interest in developing cooperation with the Republic of South Africa.

The head of state stressed the importance of the visit of the South African minister in terms of defining priority areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Noting that her country is also interested in expanding relations with Azerbaijan, Nkoana-Mashabane said there is great potential for this.

Maite Nkoana-Mashabane noted that people in South Africa have a positive attitude towards Azerbaijan and hailed the fact that several South Africans study in the field of high technologies in Azerbaijan.

The two countries are actively supporting each other on international arena, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said while addressing a press conference after meeting with his South African counterpart on November 29 in Baku.

He added that the two sides discussed a number of issues related to the cooperation in the tax, financial, defense and energy spheres.

Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR is interested in cooperation with the Republic of South Africa, said the Azerbaijani minister.

Such young democratic countries as Azerbaijan and South Africa must work together and develop cooperation in all areas, said Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

“Azerbaijan and South Africa intend to actively develop political consultations,” Nkoana-Mashabane said, adding that both countries intend to raise the political cooperation to a higher level.

“South Africa also intends to expand and strengthen the legal framework,” the minister said, adding that around seven draft agreements on bilateral cooperation are expected to be signed.

“We intend to establish an intergovernmental commission and hope that this cooperation will be mutually beneficial for South Africa and Azerbaijan."

Maite Nkoana-Mashabane further noted that her country is ready to help Azerbaijan promote its interests at the African Union (AU).

She said that South Africa is ready to support Azerbaijan in using its observer status at the African Union in order to enter the African countries’ market.

Mammadyarov, for his part, said that Azerbaijan intends to expand its presence on the African continent.

The capital of the Republic of South Africa, Pretoria, will host the meeting of the AU Executive Council, where all member states participate usually at the foreign minister level, on December 8-9. Azerbaijan will be represented at the event.

Azerbaijan also plans to hold a presentation of ASAN Service during the Executive Council’s meeting, Mammadyarov said.

Trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $6.357 million in January-October 2016 that is twice more than in the same period of 2015, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.

Meanwhile, the export of Azerbaijani products to South Africa increased by more than 140 times, and the import from South Africa – by twofold.