Bulgaria and the Republic of South Africa have confirmed their desire to intensify relations
15 October 2021 News
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Svetlan Stoev and the Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations of the Republic of South Africa Alvin Botes confirmed the will of the two countries to intensify relations on the basis of the huge opportunities for cooperation in various fields of mutual interest.
At a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister stressed the importance of the Republic of South Africa, which is a priority partner for our country in sub-Saharan Africa. Bulgaria highly values the role of the RSA in regional and global terms as an example of democracy and as one of the strongest economies in sub-Saharan Africa. The restoration and development of Bulgaria's traditional friendly relations with African countries, including in the framework of pan-European cooperation, is among the priorities of Bulgarian foreign policy.
„We have reached a level of strategic partnership with the Republic of South Africa and we must continue to develop it in the future, " said Minister Stoev.
Among the opportunities for intensifying relations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the spheres of trade, tourism, wine production, the initiation of joint investment projects for the production of traditional Bulgarian food products in South Africa. It would be good to study the possibilities for opening a direct airline connection between Bulgaria and the Republic of South Africa, which will contribute to strengthening the contacts between business and people. Energy, the green transition, are also areas of mutual interest against the background of climate change, which affects the whole world.
The Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations of the Republic of South Africa Alvin Botes stressed the importance that his country attaches to relations with Bulgaria as a traditional friendly country in Europe and as an EU member state. The South African country highlighted its special interest in developing economic and trade co-operation, including traditional Bulgarian food products such as yoghurt and cheese.
Political contacts were also discussed. The importance of the videoconference consultations organized this year between the Foreign Ministries of Bulgaria and the Republic of South Africa, as well as the activities of the embassies of the two countries was emphasized. Through Deputy Minister Botes, Minister Stoev invited his South African counterpart to visit Bulgaria, which would further help to intensify bilateral ties.
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister used the occasion to thank the authorities of the Republic of South Africa for providing an opportunity for Bulgarian citizens in the Republic of South Africa to exercise their right to vote during elections. Deputy Minister Botes, for his part, praised the 30,000 Bulgarian community in South Africa, which is well integrated in the country.
During the visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, plenary talks took place between the two delegations, led on the Bulgarian side by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Zaritsa Dinkova. Specific steps for activating business relations were discussed, including joint investments, exchange of experience in the field of digitalization. Deputy Minister Dinkova noted the potential of the IT sector, which is highly developed in Bulgaria, as well as the advantages of our country in tourism.
Organizing joint business forums would also allow both sides to get more information and expand their contacts.
In the course of the talks it was emphasized that the forthcoming celebration of the 30th anniversary in early 2022 of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the Republic of South Africa is an excellent occasion for organizing joint events to strengthen ties in education, culture and economy, and to strengthen the spirit of friendship between the two countries.