Media Statement

05 June 2023

Deputy Minister Mashego-Dlamini undertakes Official visit to Kazakhstan

The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini, will travel to Astana, Kazakhstan, from 6-9 June 2023 to co-chair the Seventh Session of Political Consultations with her Kazakhstani counterpart, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Africa and Asia, Mr Kanant Tumysh.

Deputy Minister Mashego-Dlamini will also participate in the Astana International Forum (AIF) from the 8-9 June 2023. The intention of the AIF is to bring together stakeholders from various regions and industries to discuss the global economy, energy, climate, and regional cooperation and development. The forum aims to tackle global challenges on climate, energy security, and food scarcity, and will seek to address key global challenges.

Bilateral relations between South Africa and Kazakhstan are cordial and are conducted under the umbrella of the structured Protocol on Regular Political Consultations signed in 1997 and is co-chaired at the level of Deputy Minister. The Bilateral Consultations Forum convenes at alternating venues in South Africa and Kazakhstan. South Africa hosted the 6th Round of Political Consultations on 23 November 2018 in Pretoria.

The 7th round of Bilateral Consultations will review progress made since the previous round of Consultations and it is expected that the Consultations will further explore closer cooperation in the fields of skills development and technological transfers, people-to-people cooperation, science and technology, mining, agriculture and energy to allow for increased expansion in terms of economic cooperation.

It is also expected that the mainstreaming of continental development priorities in the African Union, SADC, Central Asia as well as other multilateral cooperation objectives will form part of discussions.

Kazakhstan has been identified by South Africa as a strategic country in Central Asia with enormous potential for the expansion of trade and economic relations.

Economic relations have steadily grown between South Africa and Kazakhstan and the bilateral trade between the two countries is estimated at more than R2 billion. South African imports to Kazakhstan include machinery and chemical appliances, products chemical or allied industries and mining equipment. Several bilateral agreements in a variety of fields including economic cooperation, immigration and justice are currently under consideration.

Enquiries: Mr Clayson Monyela, Spokesperson for DIRCO,082 884 5974

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building

460 Soupansberg Road

Rietondale

Pretoria

0084