Ramaphosa visit opens new chapter in UAE-S. Africa ties
abu dhabi — The official visit of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the UAE on Friday marked the beginning of a new chapter in the long standing relations between South Africa and the UAE, according to a joint statement issued in Abu Dhabi at the end of Ramaphosa’s visit to the UAE.
The joint statement read: “At the invitation of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Cyril Ramaphosa paid a state visit to the UAE on July 13. President Ramaphosa’s first visit to the UAE marked the beginning of a new chapter in the long standing relations between South Africa and the UAE, and constitutes a step in further enriching the strong bilateral ties between the two countries.”
On his arrival in Abu Dhabi, Ramaphosa was accorded a ceremonial reception and was received by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
On the centennial of the birth of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Nahyan, founder and first president of the UAE, and Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, the leaders of the UAE and South Africa pledged to open a new chapter in bilateral relations.
To this end, the leadership of the two countries reaffirmed their deep commitment to further consolidate their strong bilateral relations across a variety of fields, including trade, transport, infrastructure development, tourism, mining, investment, and cultural cooperation.
To support these efforts, a business forum was held between the UAE and South Africa, hosted by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy.
The UAE announced its plans to invest $10 billion in key sectors of South Africa’s economy, such as tourism and mining among others, to support the sustainable development of the country. The UAE further welcomed South Africa’s positive role in supporting peace and stability on the African continent and the two sides pledged to work closely together in order to promote peace, stability, prosperity, and tolerance in Africa and the Middle East.
Ramaphosa also met Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser; Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. —