New Delhi, June 2: Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met with South African Vice President Shippokosa Paul Mashatile on Tuesday in the national capital. Mashatile is on a six-day visit to India, which began on May 29 and will conclude on June 3. The two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation across various sectors.
Both parties agreed to increase coordination on international platforms. This collaboration is rooted in their shared history, membership in BRICS, and their roles as influential voices in the Global South.
Following their meeting, Jaishankar expressed his pleasure at meeting Mashatile and his delegation on social media platform X. He appreciated their commitment to deepening long-term partnership relations. They discussed opportunities in trade, investment, MSMEs, digital innovation, and infrastructure.
Jaishankar further stated, “We agreed to work together on international platforms for both India and South Africa.”
Mashatile also took to social media, stating that they concurred on the need to expand their relationship into other areas, particularly economic ties. In another post, he emphasized their commitment to fulfilling the objectives of their strategic partnership. He noted that their collaboration in multilateral institutions is crucial for addressing challenges like poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
Both leaders agreed that India and South Africa should broaden their relationship, especially in economic matters.
Accompanying the Vice President is a high-level delegation from South Africa, including several ministers. The visit aims to promote bilateral trade, investment, digital innovation, and skill development between the two nations.
Meanwhile, India and South Africa are exploring opportunities to strengthen cooperation and partnerships in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. Both countries acknowledged the significant role of MSMEs in economic growth, job creation, and inclusive development.
According to an official statement, the two sides discussed potential areas of collaboration, including increasing access to finance, promoting enterprise formalization, accelerating digitization, strengthening entrepreneurship, and providing skill training for MSME development.
This meeting was held under the leadership of MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, with a delegation led by South Africa’s Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Tembisa Daben.
The statement highlighted that this meeting reflects the shared commitment of India and South Africa to deepen bilateral cooperation and create a conducive environment for the growth and competitiveness of the MSME sector.
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